SAI BABA GITA

The Way to Self-Realization and Liberation in this Age

Compiled and Edited by Al Drucker

Atma Press
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

American Edition
Copyright (c) 1988, 1989, 1993, 1998 by Al Drucker
7th printing - August 1998
ISBN: 0-9638449-0-3
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-73733

Copies can be obtained by sending a check for $12.50 plus $3.50 for shipping
within the U.S. and $4.50 for overseas shipping to Atma Press, W14617 Fox Run
Road, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965. (608) 253-7147. Our e-mail address is
omsairam@chorus.net.

This book may be reproduced in part or in full for personal or group study use,
but no reproduction in any form is authorized for commercial purposes, without
permission.

The editor expresses his deepest appreciation to Sai Baba for making these
profound teachings available to the world.

Messages

Suppose you are asked: "Who created all this multiplicity in the world; who is
responsible for all this variety?" What will you answer?.... The correct
response is, "There is no multiplicity at all!".... The one Divinity remains as
one forever. You mistake it as many. The fault is in you. Correct your vision.
Remove your delusion. The Divinity did not change into the world just as the
rope did not change into a snake. In the dark you mistook the rope to be a snake
but it remains a rope. So also, the Absolute remains as One, but in your
ignorance you see it as world..... The world of diversity stands on one leg
called delusion. Cut down that leg and the world falls..... I often tell you not
to identify even me with this particular body. You do not understand. You call
me by only one name and believe I have only one form, but there is no name I do
not bear and there is no form which is not mine.

After long searches here and there in temples and in churches, at last you come
back completing the circle from where you started, and find that he for whom you
have been seeking all over the world, for whom you have been weeping and praying
in churches and temples, on whom you were looking as the mystery of all
mysteries, is the nearest of the near..... your very Self..... the reality of
your life, body and soul. Assert it! Manifest it!

You as body, mind or soul are a dream. But what you really are is pure
existence, knowledge, bliss. You are the God of this universe. You are creating
this whole universe and drawing it in. To gain the Infinite, the miserable
little prison individuality must go.... Follow the heart. A pure heart seeks
beyond the intellect. It gets inspired..... Within you is the real happiness.
Within you is the mighty ocean of nectar divine. Seek it within you. Feel it.
Feel it. It is here, the Self. It is not the body, the mind, the intellect. All
these are simply manifestations. Above all these you are. You appear as the
smiling flower, as the twinkling stars. What is there in the world which can
make you desire anything?

- Sathya Sai Baba -

Sai Baba

For the countless millions of devotees who have come into his fold, Sai Baba is
the avatar of this age. He is revered as the incarnation of the full power of
divinity. Such an auspicious advent has not occurred since ancient days when the
divinity came into human form 5000 years ago, in another major age of mankind.
Then he came as Krishna, to enact the role of avatar of that particular age.
Now, the divinity has come again in the role of world teacher, to guide and
uplift mankind at this present critical time in human history.
Just as sweetness cannot be understood through words alone, but must be
experienced directly through the taste, so also the Sai phenomenon cannot be
understood by merely reading about him or studying his words or even
experiencing him first-hand. His truth can be known only by fully living his
teachings and practicing them in every thought, word and action of daily life.
By transforming our lives in this way, we discover our own truth. This is the
rarest of all jewels that this avatar has come to bestow on us. It is the deeper
message of the mission for which he has incarnated, namely, that the divinity
appears among us in order to remind us of our divinity. "I know who I am," he
says. "I have come to help you to realize who you are." In essence, we are no
less than he. We are God incarnate. That is the principal teaching of his Gita.
He has come as the guide to help us realize our truth and return mankind to its
divine source.

The Three Incarnations of Sai

Like Allah of the Muslims, or Jahweh of the Jews, or Divine Father of the
Christians, or the Buddha Nature of the Buddhists, or Ahura Mazda of the Parses,
or the Supreme Self of the Vedantins, or the Great Spirit of the native
Americans, Sai Baba is a name for the omnipresent, supreme reality, which in
most religions is known as God. The one divinity takes on countless names and
manifests itself in countless forms. It has chosen a 250 year period beginning
in the early 19th century to manifest successively in three human forms as
avatar for this kali age, to restore righteousness to floundering humanity. All
three of these incarnations are called Sai Baba, which means divine mother-
father.
The present Sai Baba, born in 1926, is the second in a succession of three
incarnations of the Sai avatar. He is known as Sathya Sai Baba. The first
incarnation was Shirdi Sai Baba, who left his mortal body eight years earlier in
1918. Shirdi Sai Baba lived his life exemplifying the unity of God and the
brotherhood of man, by ministering to both the Hindu and Muslim communities of
central India, each of which claimed him as their own. For many years, he would
spend alternate days living in a Hindu temple and in a Muslim mosque.
The Sai avatar will remain in the present Sathya Sai form until his mid 90's,
well into the 21st century. Then, shortly after leaving his physical body, he
will be born again in the south of India, appearing as the third and final
incarnation. At that time he will be known as Prema Sai Baba and will complete
the mission of the Sai avatar to end this kali age and usher in the golden age
for mankind.

Sai Baba's Ashram - Prashanti Nilayam

Sathya Sai Baba took birth in the little out-of-the-way hamlet of Puttaparthi in
the south of India, near Bangalore. Now, a modern township has sprung up there,
called Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of ultimate peace, which is his main ashram.
It provides accommodations for thousands of pilgrims from all over India and
from all parts of the globe, who come to experience Sai Baba's daily public
contacts with the devotees and private interviews for those who are fortunate to
be chosen.
The ashram houses a comprehensive educational complex where students come from
all parts of India and abroad to live and study together. Small children can
come into the residential program starting at the age of five in the primary
school, then go on to the high school, college and university levels, and
finally on to the postgraduate and doctoral levels, to complete their education
twenty years later. The Sai educational system, with campuses in various states
of India, is wholly non-denominational and completely cost-free. All the
educational costs for thousands of students are borne directly by the Sathya Sai
Baba Trust.
Also at Prashanti Nilayam is the central headquarters for the worldwide network
of Sai service organizations, engaged in a wide range of community service
projects and in bringing education in human values into government and private
school systems throughout the world. Recently, the largest specialty hospital in
Asia was inaugurated at the ashram. Here patients, no matter how poor, can come
from all over the globe for open heart surgery. They stay at the hospital with
no charge for doctors, medicine, hospital services, food or room.

Sai Baba, The Human Being And The God-Man

The hub of all this activity is Sai Baba, who from his earliest days has
attracted large numbers of people to him through his unique personal presence.
He can only be described as the personification of pure, selfless love, the
embodiment of perfect peace and bliss, the essence of all goodness. He manifests
every noble human quality that mankind admires and he incorporates every divine
quality that is characteristic of the avatar. He has the full power of nature in
his hand. He has all knowledge at his command. He knows the past, present and
future of everyone who comes to him. He manifests himself in many parts of the
world for the sake of his devotees. These characteristics, namely omnipotence,
omniscience and omnipresence, are the mark of a full incarnation of the
divinity.
In his teachings he befriends all faiths and emphasizes the unity of all
religions in the oneness of divinity. In his personal manner, Sai Baba displays
a majestic grace, and at the same time, an exquisite joyfulness. In the midst of
a splendorous temple and ashram, he lives in a small, simple room, and maintains
an austere life style, completely committing his time from early morning to late
at night to ministering to the needs of those who come to him.
Not being limited to the physical plane, Sai Baba works in all dimensions, gross
and subtle, appearing through visions and dreams and inner experiences, as well
as in his physical form. As the divine teacher guiding the spiritual unfoldment
of his devotees, he inspires from within and directs from without. He
illuminates the heart and transforms the mind and reveals the greatest of all
treasures, the immortal atma, the universal self abiding in every heart.

The Sai Advent

These two and a half centuries encompassing the Sai advent are a unique time of
great spiritual significance in the history of the world. During this period,
many saints and sages are also appearing on the earth in order to advance the
divine mission of revitalizing spiritual values and reversing the present
downward trend of moral degeneration which is engulfing the world. In the
millenia to come, generations will look back with great awe at those of us who
lived during this sacred time, much as we might look back at those fortunate
ones in other ages, who were the contemporaries of Rama or Krishna, or of Moses,
Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed or Zoroaster, and who had the unique chance to
experience their sacred presence directly.
Very rarely in the long span of human existence, has the divinity taken a human
form on earth and allowed itself to be widely recognized by many. And even more
rarely has the divinity come in all its fullness and glory as avatar of the age,
as is true today in the form of Sai Baba. Now, the full power of God can be
directly approached and experienced by all, and his teachings, which have the
authority of the source of all wisdom, can be understood by everyone, for he
speaks to us in the language and the idiom of our present time.

Introduction to the Gita

Gita means song. But the Gita is no ordinary song. It is the divine song of
emancipation. It is given by God to free us of the illusions that have kept us
bound. The Gita celebrates our highest truth, the atma.
Atma means self. But atma also means God. Atma is our god-self, our true self.
And since God is always one, atma is the one true self of everyone and
everything. Illusion makes it appear as the many. Our destiny is to dispel the
clouds of illusion so that our truth is revealed and the atma is realized. That
is self-knowledge.
When self-knowledge comes, the illusion of separate beings and separate objects
goes, and is replaced by unity consciousness. Self-knowledge is the only
knowledge that has truly eternal and lasting value, for it enables us to
transcend all limitations of time and space, and be immersed in the bliss of the
atma.
In every major age, God comes as avatar and teaches the Gita to initiate us into
self-knowledge and dispel the veils which hide our divine nature. 5000 years
ago, God came as Krishna, to render this song of truth at a time of great moral
decline. At that time, he gave the Gita in order to rescue Arjuna, and through
him all of mankind, from the fog of illusion and attachment. In this age, he has
come again as Sai Baba, to give this sacred teaching at another time of great
turmoil and deteriorating values. The malady he is treating is the same, and the
remedy he prescribes is also the same, stemming from the same ancient wisdom.
But, being the very source of eternal wisdom, he knows how to transmit it in a
way which makes it come alive today and be meaningful in this present age.
In his Gita teachings, Baba shows us how to transcend the false perception of
our senses and mind, which constantly support the illusion of separate
existence. Step by step, he directs us onto the inner path to discover who we
truly are. When all illusion is stripped away, we realize that we are not these
bodies and personalities, we are not separate beings individualized into name
and form. The truth is, and he emphasizes it over and over again, that we are
not different from God. Our unchanging reality, which was the same before we
took on the limitations of these bodies, and which is the same after we let go
of these bodies, is the one divine self, the atma. Inexplicably, atma has become
cloaked with the changing names and forms which make up the covering veil of
maya, or illusion. But, under the layers of obscuration, hidden from view, atma
shines in everyone as the unvarying radiance of divine light.

To realize this requires a purification of consciousness, until only pure

awareness, unbefogged by illusory mind-stuff, remains. Baba tells us that when
we give up our outer vision and our fascination for the world and, instead, turn
our mind inwards to gain the integral vision, we become steeped in unity
consciousness. When we give up body-consciousness we gain God-consciousness.
When we expand beyond our limited human awareness into the fullness of our
potential, we become who we truly are. We transcend the illusion of separation
of God, man and world and merge into the one divine principle. That is the
essential teaching of the Gita.

The Gita is the very heart of the ancient wisdom making up the perennial
philosophy of the East. It is the basis of all spirituality. We are told that it
had a profound influence on Jesus, as well as on the Buddha, not to speak of the
countless spiritual lights who have graced this planet in the millenia since the
Gita was given by Krishna on the battlefield.
The Gita has something for everyone at every level of the spiritual path. Baba
talks to each of us at the level at which we are ready, pointing us from
wherever we are, to our final destination. If we incorporate this Gita into our
daily lives, we will never need to read another book nor study another teaching.
By following the directions given here, we will be led home to our own
unchanging truth. First, however, there are a number of stages we must go
through. They are best spoken of in terms of the yogas. The Sanskrit word yoga
speaks of union, referring to union with God.

There are three principal yogas which Baba takes up here. They are karma yoga,
the path of selfless service; bhakti yoga, the path of devotion wherein we see
the divinity in everything we see; and jnana yoga, the path of wisdom, the
culmination of the spiritual journey, wherein we dwell constantly on our highest
truth. These yogas are the soap which purifies us and strips away the layers of
unreality that have covered the atma. For too long, illusion and unreality have
posed, bizarrely, but totally convincingly, as the only true reality and kept
the bona fide reality, the atma, hidden. These yogas help return us to unity
consciousness.

A question may arise as to why, when the verses of Krishna's Bhagavad Gita are
freely available, Baba has elaborated this new version of the Gita. Baba
explains that this present age is different from Krishna's time and different
from Rama's time, as well. In the age of Rama, the forces of darkness were
embodied as demonic hordes, external enemies that disturbed the inner peace and
tranquillity of the people. Rama, God incarnated as avatar, personally took up
arms and went into the forest to destroy this evil. Tens of thousands of years
later, in the age of Krishna, the forces of evil were not outside in the forest,
but right at home in the same family. Now the avatar did not take up arms
directly. Instead, he drove the chariot and galvanized Arjuna to fight the
battle and win the victory.

In truth, the divinity had already decided the outcome. To make it clear to
Arjuna that he was merely an actor in this drama, Krishna gave Arjuna a vision
of the cosmic form of God. Suddenly, Arjuna could see all of time, past, present
and future. He saw all the combatants on both sides, engulfed in their
inescapable destiny, following the play orchestrated by the Lord. Though he was
engaged in fighting all the battles, Arjuna saw that he was merely the
instrument carrying out the will of the Lord, and that the ultimate conclusion
of the war, the triumph of righteousness over evil, had been decided even before
the first battle commenced.

In those days people lived much longer than they do now. Baba mentioned that at
the time of the Mahabharata war, Krishna and Arjuna were both in their eighties.
Krishna and Arjuna had known each other for over 70 years. They were the closest
of friends, spent most of their time together, and were related as brothers-in-
law. In all this time spent together, the Gita never came up. For years, Arjuna,
along with the other Pandava brothers, had nobly borne every insult and
indignity perpetrated by their wicked cousins. But, the forces of evil were
unrelenting. The conflict was destined to culminate in war. Preparations for the
battle commenced. Now, on the eve of the war, when Arjuna saw his beloved
grandfather and his revered teacher ready to fight on the opposing side, and all
his other close relations arrayed for battle, he threw down his bow in
despondency.

In speaking of this, Baba said that Arjuna had faced many worldly dilemmas in
his life and knew how to deal with them. But, at that point, Arjuna was facing a
spiritual dilemma. He was overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness that
stemmed from the onslaught of his inner enemies, attachment, infatuation,
deluded vision, and the rest, which had made him forget his own truth and his
commitment to preserve righteousness at all cost. Now, in desperation, he turned
to Krishna, knowing that Krishna alone could rescue him from this quagmire. He
declared, "Lord, command me. I will do as you say." At that moment, their
relationship changed from chums and co-equals to master and disciple. And it was
at this point, Baba tells us, that Krishna chose to teach Arjuna the Gita.
Surrender of the individual will to the divine will was the key to proper
preparation in receiving this age-old wisdom.

Baba said that the sage Vyasa tuned in on their dialogue with his yogic powers
of subtle hearing. Vyasa elaborated Krishna's teachings into 700 verses in the
Sanskrit poetic form, which have been preserved through time as the Bhagavad
Gita. But, Baba said that in the 20 minutes or so, when Krishna spoke to Arjuna
on the battlefield, he did not actually expound all these verses or render them
in poetic meter. Krishna's goal was very specific.

Krishna who was the divinity incarnate was always unremittingly happy. Arjuna,
like the rest of humanity, experienced periods of joy and sorrow. Here, on the
eve of the battle, Arjuna was deeply depressed, but earlier that day, Arjuna had
been highly elated, eager to fight. Krishna knew that all of these changes of
mood were caused by illusion. Arjuna was out of touch with his true nature, the
atma, which is synonymous with eternal delight. Krishna resolved to dispel
Arjuna's confusion and bolster his courage by teaching him the knowledge of the
atma, so that Arjuna would discover his own divine truth and be forever immersed
in unchanging inner joy.

In these chapters, Baba gives us an insight into the main points of Lord
Krishna's Gita. Since this present book is the Gita for this present age, Baba
gives many additional directions for our spiritual advancement, which are
particularly applicable to these troubled times and our needs. His goal is the
same as Krishna's, namely to establish us in ananda, the eternal delight which
is our true nature.

This age is different in many ways from Krishna's age. In this age, the forces
of good and evil are not only battling in the same family, but they are battling
inside of every being. Baba tells us that if the Lord were to come today, sword
in hand, to stamp out all traces of evil, no one alive would escape or survive.
He comes, instead, as the inner director. Following his guidance, we must fight
our own inner battles, conquer our own inner enemies, and gain the ultimate
victory of salvation and awakening.

This kali age, in which we are now living, wherein gross materialism and
lawlessness have run rampant and spiritual values have declined, is, in many
ways the worst of all ages. But, from the spiritual point of view, this age is
the best of all ages for the transformation of the individual. In this age we
can most readily throw off the bonds of illusion and realize the atma. But, it
requires swimming up-stream against the powerful current and rapids of worldly
life, which try to sweep us into the abyss and keep us locked onto the endless
cycle of birth and death. Now, the avatar of this age, through his teachings,
shows us how to navigate these rapids. He works internally as the indweller in
every being, directing us how to confront our own inner enemies and win this war
of good and evil inside.

In ages past, Baba points out, the spiritual path was primarily devoted to
rituals and religious practices, such as meditation, penances, chanting of
mantras, prayers and other worshipful activities. These practices are still
important, but they are not enough. Baba often says, "Hands that work in the
service of society are much holier than lips that pray." He wants us to do karma
yoga and engage in selfless service to mankind. All our work must be pure and
done to the full extent of our capacity for excellence. At the same time, we
must have no attachment to the fruits of our labors, but instead, offer up all
our actions and their results to God.

When we see the divinity everywhere, installed as the indweller in every being,
and we serve that omni-present divinity in all we do, then karma yoga
automatically becomes bhakti yoga. Our work becomes worship. But in this there
is still some separation between ourselves and God; there is still some duality.
Baba is not satisfied with our spiritual progress until we become totally
immersed in non-duality and reach our highest truth, the realization of the
immortal self. That is the final stage.

Baba tells a little story of an old woman who was sewing in her home at night.
She was working on her tapestry when she lost her needle. The light being very
dim in her house, she went out to the street lamp where the light was bright, to
look for her needle. Baba ends the story there. Whenever he tells this story he
always seems a little amused by the silliness of it.

We are like that old woman. We have also lost our needle while working on the
tapestry of our many lives. Our lost needle is the knowledge of our truth,
without which we cannot finish our work. After groping through countless lives
caught up in illusion, we now know that there is something vital to our
existence that we have lost. We go to great teachers and to ashrams where the
spiritual light is intense, hoping to find there what we have lost.

We get great solace being in the light and we gain deeper understanding of what
we are looking for, but the final discovery of what we have lost can only happen
when we look inside our own heart of hearts. There within, deeper than the body
and the mind, deeper than our sense of I-ness which stands at the core of our
individual self, beyond all sheaths, subtle and causal, which cover our truth,
we find the brightest light of all, the light of atma. When the atma, our true
self is realized, the tapestry of our long journey in the world which we have
been working on for so many eons and so many lives, is finally complete.

Baba assures us that, just as was true in the vision given to Arjuna showing the
final outcome of the war, the outcome of our long trek and our inner war has
also already been determined by the divine will. We are destined to return home.
Nevertheless, we must still tread the path and fight the battles and win final
victory over our inner enemies. We initiate this process by making friends with
the divinity in our hearts, keeping it as our steady companion and allowing it
to guide our inner journey.
As we proceed on our path the clouds of illusion thin out and we become aware of
a great mystery. We realize that the spiritual journey we thought we were on is
itself an illusion. We are not individuals on the spiritual path following the
direction of the divine inner guru. In truth, we are the totality. We are the
divinity itself. We are and always have been the atma. Atma is neither born nor
reborn; nor does it ever die. As atma we have not come from somewhere nor are we
going somewhere. We have never changed. Only the illusion of individuality and
separateness has changed. Ultimately that illusion disappears and we discover
the glorious truth that we have always been one with God. Baba tells us, "God if
you think, God you are. Dust if you think, dust you are. Think God. Be God. You
are God. Realize it."

Some years ago in a public discourse, Baba directed us to repeat several times
daily, "I am God, I am God, I am no different from God. I am the infinite
supreme. I am the one reality." If we allow this declaration of truth to suffuse
our lives and fill us with the consummate love that is God, these powerful words
will gradually become our direct inner experience. More and more we will
identify ourselves with the divinity, our real self, and less and less with
these ephemeral personalities which are but shadow selves. Thus we realize who
we are, the immortal self, the one divinity, which is love itself.
That is the inspiring message of this Gita.

The Essence of the Gita

For Western readers who may not be familiar with it, here follows a summary of
the traditional Bhagavad Gita, as set down by the sage Vyasa. That Gita was
given by Krishna to Arjuna, just before a great war involving huge armies with
millions of combatants, coming from kingdoms scattered all over the Indian
subcontinent. In massive encounters that raged daily for 18 days, the forces of
good were pitted against the forces of evil. This war proved to be one of the
bloodiest of all time. When it was over, only a handful of men survived.
In this war, Krishna, who was God incarnate, took the humble role of a
charioteer, to guide Arjuna and the Pandava brothers to victory. But, on the eve
of the great war, it looked like the battle was lost before it even started.
Arjuna, the foremost warrior on the side of good, had become overwhelmed with
doubts; he decided to throw down his bow and not fight. This situation came
about after Krishna had driven Arjuna's chariot onto the battlefield between the
two armies. There Arjuna saw his beloved grandfather, his teacher and his
kinsmen on the opposite side, getting ready to fight and die for their cause.
They had allied themselves with the forces of unrighteouseousness.
Filled with a deep despondency, Arjuna said, "O Krishna! I cannot fight! I feel
overcome by a sense of helplessness! What good is winning this war when it will
lead to the destruction of all these kinsmen, teachers and heroes. I do not know
where my duty lies! I beg you to tell me what is right for me! I surrender
myself fully to you! I am your disciple! Please teach me!" Then the blessed Lord
gave him the great wisdom teachings of the Gita.
Krishna started the Gita teachings with an admonishment, "Arjuna! Shake off this
faint-heartedness. It is not worthy of you. Do not yield to weakness. You have
been preparing so long for this battle to preserve righteousness. This is not
the time to falter. The anguish you are feeling now stems from infatuation and
attachment. It is not rooted in truth. Know the truth, Arjuna. Know your supreme
self, the atma.
"Even as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on others which are fresh, so
the atma casts off bodies and enters into others which are new. Bodies are born,
and what is born must die. But the eternal atma is never born. It never dies.
Weapons cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it and wind cannot
dry it.
"This atma is not your perishable body. It is your immortal self, the
imperishable self of everyone. Once that is known, then what is there to grieve
for? The wise never grieve... neither for the dead nor for the living.
"I am that atma, Arjuna. I am the supreme Lord of all, residing in the heart of
every being. I am the father of this world and also its mother and sustainer. I
am the beginning, the middle and the end. Everything is produced out of me.
Everything is pervaded by me. No creature can exist without me. Whatever path
men travel, it is my path. Whichever way they go they reach me.

"Though I am eternally birthless and unchanging, yet, I incarnate myself from

age to age. Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness prevails, I take
on a form, to protect the good and to destroy evil.
"Veiled as I am by my inscrutable power of illusion, my maya, the world does not
recognize me. Although they do not know me, Arjuna, I know them all. I know
their past, present and future. In truth, I am ever unmanifest and imperishable;
but not understanding this transcendental nature of mine, the ignorant regard me
as a mere mortal.

"Knowing nothing of my reality, they ignore me and become occupied in the world
with vain hopes, vain works and vain knowledge. Lost in the maze of maya, they
are spun around like puppet-dolls on a merry-go-round.
"This divine illusion of mine is most difficult to overcome. Among thousands of
human beings, only a few struggle to know my truth; even amongst these that
struggle, only one, perchance, comes to know me in reality. Such a one is a
yogi, one steeped in the highest wisdom. Therefore, Arjuna, you should be a
yogi! With all your being take refuge in me alone, and by my grace you will
attain supreme peace.

"From this moment on, fix your mind steadily on me dwelling in your heart. Be
devoted to me, bow down to me, worship me. Know that I am always within you and
soon you will become one with me. Yes, truly do I promise this to you, Arjuna,
for you are very dear to me. He who knows my divine birth and work, will not be
born again after death. He will not lose sight of me, nor I of him.
"Arjuna, whoever works for me and has me as his supreme goal, whoever is devoted
to me and is unattached, bearing no malice towards any creature, will quickly
come to me. Such a one sees me everywhere, residing in all beings, as the
imperishable amidst the perishable.

"For these, who have me ever present in their mind's eye and serve me
steadfastly with affection, I will carry their burdens and I will give them what
they need. Talking about me to each other, they are forever satisfied and
delighted. Out of my compassion for them, I strengthen their power of
discrimination and destroy the darkness of ignorance that beclouds their vision.
Bringing their senses under control they transcend the world of death and decay,
and attain immortality.

"Arjuna, whoever offers me with love, either a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even
some water... such devout offerings coming from a pure heart, I will surely
accept. Whatever you do, whatever you eat or sacrifice or give away, whatever
austerity you perform, offer that first to me. Then you will be free of the
consequences of your actions, and soon your mind will become calm and wise,
steeped in renunciation. Endowed with evenness of mind and having abandoned the
fruits of your actions, you will be freed forever from the fetters of birth.
"Arjuna, resign every action to me. Fix your mind firmly on me. I will perform
all your actions through you and liberate you from all sins. Fear not. By my
grace you will overcome all obstacles.

"But if from self-conceit you do not listen to me, you will surely perish. You
may think, 'I will not fight!' But impelled by your sense of duty, your own
nature will compel you to fight. What out of delusion you do not wish to do, you
shall do in spite of yourself. Arise, Arjuna! With the sword of wisdom that I
have given to you, cut to pieces this ignorance which doubts the truth that the
divinity is everpresent in your heart. Arjuna, stand up and achieve glory! You
are pledged to uphold righteousness! The forces of unrighteousness have become
rampant. You must encounter them and destroy them!

"Take refuge in me, Arjuna. Think of me at all times and fight! It is not you
who will kill these heroes, but I. I am the world's creator and sustainer, but I
am also the mighty world-destroying time that devours all. Truly, these warriors
in hostile armies have already been slain by me. You are merely the instrument
through which I act.
"Here, I give you a vision of my universal form in which you can see the oneness
of all existence! Behold my divine power! Behold the whole universe, moving and
unmoving, all unified in me!"

Overwhelmed with wonder and amazement, Arjuna bowed his head in adoration and
spoke with palms joined, "O supreme Lord! Hail to you! Hail, again and again! If
the effulgence of a thousand suns were to blaze forth together in the skies,
their glory could compare only a little with your infinite splendor! You are the
imperishable Lord, the undying guardian of the eternal dharma. You are
everything that can ever be known. Seeing your awesome form, all the worlds are
trembling with fear. And so am I. Just as the many rivers flow towards the sea,
so do all these heroes in the world of men enter your flaming mouths."
Then the blessed Lord again assumed his usual gentle form as Krishna, and said,
"Graciously have I shown to you this infinite, primeval form of mine. It is very
rare, indeed, to see what you have just seen. Neither by study of the
scriptures, nor by austerities, nor by charity, nor by rituals, but only by
single-minded devotion can I be seen thus. This experience of my cosmic form and
this sacred knowledge that I have taught you are the most precious of all
treasures.

"Arjuna, have you listened to me with full concentration? Has the delusion
caused by your ignorance been dispelled? Think over everything that I have said
to you, reflect on it fully, and then do what pleases you."
Arjuna answered, "O Lord of the universe! Your powerful and wonderful words
contain the highest wisdom, and you have spoken them with so much compassion.
Through your grace, my delusion is now destroyed. I stand free of all doubts.
Please direct me! I will do as you command!"

Foreword to the American Edition

I would like to give you, dear reader, some background on how this book came
about. In August and September of 1984, there were extensive riots in South
India. There were shootings not far from Sai Baba's ashram and the ashram gates
were locked. Armed soldiers were patrolling outside and escorting the college
students into the ashram for the evening meetings. For 34 days during the height
of the tension, Sai Baba spoke in daily discourses to the students on the Gita.
He spoke in Telugu, his native language. These talks form the chapters of this
book.
I was living in Baba's ashram at the time and teaching in his university. With
Baba's permission, I used these powerful Gita teachings over the years as the
basis for my scheduled talks to visitors who came to the ashram from all over
the world. It has been my good fortune to work with this material now for almost
9 years. Every moment spent on it has brought new light and depth of
understanding, and, as has happened to many others, these teachings have
unalterably transformed my life.

Five years ago, I had the chance to publish this Gita in India, from the edited
translations of Baba's talks. 12,000 copies in English were printed and
distributed, and translations were published in a number of Euro-pean and Asian
languages. The original manuscript was presented to Sai Baba on the stage of the
auditorium during the Christmas function in 1987, and he graciously blessed it
and signed the title page. That work contained extensive Sanskrit phrases and
references to traditional Indian themes, which were familiar to Indian devotees.
In the intervening years, the Indian English edition has gone out of print. With
the intention of making these teachings widely available without need for the
reader to have an extensive background in Sanskrit or Indian philosophy or prior
knowledge of the characters and stories that fill Baba's talks, this book was
prepared in the present edition. Here, the majority of Sanskrit terms have been
deleted and incorporated in their English equivalents into the body of the text.
Also, the chapters have been freely edited to clarify any difficult passages or
obscure references and to convert the spoken words into easily readable text.
Every chapter has been arranged to stand on its own, with the effect that you
can turn to any chapter whose subject matter particularly interests you, without
first having to study all the previous chapters in the book.
In editing the text my primary focus was on clarity in conveying Baba's
teachings to the Western reader, rather than on literal translation. I
acknowledge the grave responsibility of editing the avatar's words and urge
scholars to study the tapes of Baba's Gita discourses in Telugu.
Al Drucker,
Crestone, Colorado, October 1993

Table of Contents
Sai Baba i
An Introduction To The Gita v
The Essence Of The Gita xi
Foreword To The American Edition xv
Table of Contents
xvii
Part One - Path Of Devotion

1st Chapter
Love And Duty - The Path Of Perfection 1
Self-Knowledge Is God-Knowledge 1
Faith In Yourself And Faith In God 3
The Formless Takes A Form 4
Divine Consciousness 4
Work, Worship And Wisdom 5
Extinction Of Delusion 6

2nd Chapter
Surrender - Transformation Of Man Into God 8
The Universe 8
The Path Of Devotion 9
Your Highest Self Is God 10
The Unlimited Power Of God 11
The Devotee Is Even Greater Than God 12
You Can Bind God With The Power Of Love 13
From Duality To Non-Duality 14
Near And Dear 15
Show No Hatred Towards Any Being 16

3rd Chapter
Earning God's Love 17
The Love Of God 17
True Joy 18
Courage And Steadiness 18
Worship Of God With And Without A Form 19
Only The Formless Is The Permanent Aspect Of The Lord 20
Steady Your Mind By Worshipping The Divinity With Form 21
Worshipping The Formless God In Your Heart 22
Inner Peace And Contentment 23
Love All 23

4th Chapter
Inner Inquiry - The Path Of Wisdom 25
The Three Stages On The Wisdom Path 25
God Is The Master Of Time 27
The Veil Of Illusion 28
The World As A River Of Truth And Untruth 29
Hold On To God Alone 29
Conquer Your Senses 30
Give Your Burdens To God 31
Surrender Fully To God 33

5th Chapter
Find God In Your Own Heart 34
The Indwelling God 34
Within The Body Is Pure Consciousness 35
See God In Everything 36
The Diseases Of Mankind 37
Seek The Lord Inside Your Own Body 38
Harmonize All Your Thoughts, Words And Deeds 39
Forbearance, The Primary Spiritual Quality 40
You Can Experience God Through Love Alone 40

6th Chapter
The Three Stages On The Spiritual Path 42
First Know That God Is Here Then Experience God Directly 42
The Cowherd Boy 43
Anguished Yearning For The Lord's Presence 43
The Vision Of The Lord 44
Beyond Dualism 45
Becoming One With The Lord 46
Knowing, Seeing And Becoming One 47
Reaching The Abiding Peace Of The Immortal Self 48
The Sacred Names Of Arjuna 49
7th Chapter
Restraining The Tongue In Food And Speech 51
The Dual Power Of The Tongue 51
Control Of The Tongue 52
Develop A Discriminating Mind 53
Purity Of The Food,The Cooking Vessels And The Cook 54
The Blessing Offering Food To God 54
The Role Of The Tongue In Speech 55
The Story Of The Officer And The Preceptor 55
The Power Of Words 57
Sacrifice And Forbearance 57
Talk Wastes Spiritual Energy 58
Self-Confidence 59
Efface Selfishness, Pride And Jealousy 60

8th Chapter
You Can Reach God Through Love Alone 61
Devotion 61
Meditation And Devotion Are One And The Same 62
The Householder And The Monk 63
I Am God 63
From The Form To The Formless 64
Surrender To The Divinity Within You 65
Transforming Desires Into Wisdom 65
Renouncing The Fruits Of Your Labor 66
Love Is The Root Of All Spiritual Practices 67
Fill Your Heart With Love And Faith 68
Love Is The Most Important Of All Human Qualities 69

9th Chapter
Desire And Anger - The Twin Evils 70
Use Sacred Thoughts To Destroy Dark Thoughts 70
Good Character, Good Behavior And Knowledge Of The Self 71
Divine Power And Physical Power 72
The Three Worlds And The Lord Beyond 72
Wherever You Look You See Your One Self 73
You Are Not A Sinner - You Are God 74
The Sweetness Of The Servant Path 75
Controlling Desires And Anger 75
Attraction And Repulsion 76
Character Not Belief Is What Is Important 77

10th Chapter
Love & Sacrifice –
The Cure For Desire And Anger 79
The Fire Of Desire 79
Make Love The Dominant Force In Your Life 80
The Nature Of Anger 81
Sacrifice Conquers Desire 81
The Pest Of Desire And Hatred 82
Let All The Noble Human Qualities Shine Within You 83
Replacing Bad Habits With Good Habits 84
Steady Practice Is The Key To All Accomplishments In Life 85
Keeping The Senses Within Their Normal Limits 86

11th Chapter
Renunciation - Focus On God, Not The World 87
Control Of The Mind 87
Detachment 88
Make The Best Use Of Every Object 88
Harischandra And Buddha 90
Worldly Attachments Are Like Poison 91
King Janaka's Dream 92
The Anguish Of Separation From God 93
True Renunciation Is Turning Your Mind Towards God 94

12th Chapter
Detachment - Unify Thoughts, Words & Deeds 96
Detachment Leads To Self-Realization 96
Detach Yourself From Objects
Which You Think Belong To You 97
Give Up The Fruits Of Your Actions 98
Everything Undergoes Change 99
Constant Practice 100
The Three Austerities,Physical, Vocal And Mental 100
Better Be Quiet Than Tell An Untruth 101
Every Day Observe A Period Of Silence 102
Free Yourself From All Bondage 103

13th Chapter
Time Wasted Is Life Wasted 105
Start Your Spirtual Practice When You Are Young 105
Do Not Waste Your Youth 106
Use Your Body For The Sake Of God 107
You Cannot Start Spiritual Life When Death Is At The Door 108
True Human Life Involves Discrimination & Renunciation 109
Keep Your Concentration Unwaveringly On God 110
Be Steady In Your Practice 111
Tell The Truth But Use Discretion In Your Words 113
The Four Types Of Anger 113

14th Chapter
Remember God - Forget The World 115
Find Out Who You Truly Are 115
Youth Is The Most Precious Period Of Life 116
Develop Self-Confidence And A Firm Resolve 117
Birth Is Sorrowful,Life Is Sorrowful And Death Is Sorrowful 118
The Field And The Knower Of The Field 119
The Whole World Is Illusion 120
The Four Types Of Devotees 121
The Story Of The Wealthy Man And His Four Wives 123
God Answers Everyone's Requests 124
You Are Not Mortal, You Are Immortal 125

Part Two - Path Of Wisdom 127

15th Chapter
Give Up Self-Delusion - Know Your Real Self 131
Infatuation And Attachment Lead To Sorrow 131
Infatuation Will Destroy Your Courage And Will 132
Ignorance Is The Cause Of All Sorrow 133
The Cure For Ignorance 134
The War Between Selfishness And Selflessness 135
Foresight & Compassion – Qualities Found In A Pure Heart 136
The Transformation From Kinsman Or Friend To Disciple 138
Be Courageous, Be Fearless, Be Discriminating 139

16th Chapter
Banish Ignorance And Sorrow Will Leave You 141
Your True Nature Is Eternal Joy 141
The Body Is The Outer Garment You As Pure Spirit Wear 142
This Body Is Only One Of Many You Have Worn 143
Ignorance Is Being Unaware Of Your True Nature 144
The Danger Of Being Attached To The Body 145
You Must Live The Teachings 146
Ignorance Must Be Completely Dispelled 147

17th Chapter
Master Your Senses & The World Will Be Yours 149
The Transitory Nature Of All Things 149
The 24 Impermanent Principles 150
The Immortal Self Beyond The Ephemeral Individual 150
The Noble And The Ignoble 151
The Nature Of The Sense Organs 152
Those Bound By The Senses Are Destroyed By The Senses 153
The King Who Was Ruled By His Five Wives 154
The Mind With Its Five Wives, The Senses 155
Being Ever Vigilant In Controlling The Senses 156
Victory Over The Senses Through Self-Inquiry 157
Control Of The Tongue, The First Step In Sense-Control 158
The Pure Brother Of The Impure Demon King 159

18th Chapter
You Are The Indweller - Not The Body Or Mind 160
You Are The Atma, You Are God 160
Keep The Atma In View And Nothing Can Harm You 161
Sense-Control Is Easy When You Understand The Senses 163
Realize The Transitoriness Of All Sense Objects 164
Focus On The Divinity, Your True Self, And Do Your Duty 165
Intellect Surpasses All Your Senses 165
A Wise Man Never Forgets The Atma 166
God Does Not Wish To Be Praised By Anyone 168

19th Chapter
Sense Control - The Key To The Highest Wisdom 170
Sense-Control, The Foundation For Self-Knowledge 170
Sense Enjoyment Is An Illusory Joy 171
All Joy Comes Only From The Self 172
Sense Objects Can Only Give Temporary Joy 173
Self-Knowledge Gives The Greatest Joy 175
Beauty And Joy 175
The Light Of Atma Illuminates Everything 176
The Joy Of The Self Is The Only True Joy 178
Do Not Drive With Your Foot On The Brake 179
Detachment, Devotion And Sense-Control 180

20th Chapter
Knowledge Is Useless Without Self-Knowledge 181
The Light Of Wisdom Dispels
The Darkness Of Ignorance 181
Atma Remains Unchanged, The Individual Changes 182
The Two States Of The Mind, Pure And Impure 183
Give The Mind Some Peace - Turn It Towards God 184
How To Cross The Turbulent River Of Worldly Life 185
External Freedom And Inner Freedom 186
You Need The Lord's Grace To Achieve Anything Worthwhile 187
God's Grace Is Earned Through Purity Of The Heart 189
There Are Many Beings But Only One Underlying Divinity 190
Only Wisdom Can Conquer Ignorance 191
Develop Wisdom Through Inner Inquiry 192

21st Chapter
To Know The Divinity Is To Become The Divinity 194
The Atmic Light Gets Hidden By The Impure Senses 194
See Unity In All Diversity 196
You Are A Human Being, Not An Animal 196
Desire Makes You Break Your Resolutions 197
The Body Is Given To You To Realize The Indweller 198
Everything Comes From The One Indwelling Divinity 199
Association With The Divinity Makes You Divine 201

22nd Chapter
The Three Worlds - The Gross, Subtle & Causal 203
The Five Elements, Gross And Subtle 203
Life Is A Series Of Waves 204
But For The Divine Principle, The World Is Totally Inert 205
The Artist Who Tried To Capture The Image Of The Lord 206
To Reach The Permanent, Go Beyond The Impermanent 207
You Are Not One But Three 209
Behind The Gross The Subtle,Behind The Subtle The Causal 210
Samadhi Is Equal-Mindedness 211
You Alone Are True 212
The Qualities Of The Truly Wise 213

23rd Chapter
Limit Desires, Be Content & Become Dear To God 215
Be Satisfied, Do Not Chase After Desires 215
You Must Win God's Love 216
Contentment Is The Real Wealth 217
Atma Is Never Born, Atma Never Dies 219
Reduce Your Desires And Remember The Atma 221

24th Chapter
Patience And Forbearance 222
Realize The Atma Through Your Direct Experience 222
You Gain Forbearance Through Difficult Circumstances 223
The Tree, The River And The Cow 224
There Are Times When You Should Withhold Forbearance 225
When To Use Forbearance And When It Is Inappropriate 226
Undue Haste And Delay Are Two Extremes To Be Avoided 227
To Adhere To Truth Is The Same As Practicing Forbearance 228
At Times You Have To Alter Your Voice In Telling The Truth 229
Negative Qualities Must Be Uprooted And Destroyed 230

25th Chapter
Jealousy And Hatred 231
Discover The Indweller Through
Your Own Inner Practice 231
The Five Characteristics That Make Up Everything 232
Jealousy And Hatred 233
Being Jealous Of The Divinity 234
The Divinity Never Has Selfish Motives 235
Conquer Jealousy And You Can Conquer Anything 236
Forbearance Will Overcome Hatred 237
Behind Jealousy And Hatred Is Egoism 238
Destroy Egoism, Jealousy & Hatred With Love & Forbearance 240
Only Through Love Can You Experience God 241
Jealousy And Hatred Destroy Those Who Possess Them 242

26th Chapter
Truth And Good Character - The Breath Of Life 244
Truth And Dharma 244
Truth Needs To Be Established From The Earliest Age 245
Even A Little Fib Can Lead To Unhappiness Later 246
When One Bad Quality Goes The Rest Cannot Long Remain 247
Dharma Is Changeless But Its Practice Changes In Each Age 250
Not Harming Others Is Dharma 252
Social Duty, Obligatory Duty And Family Duty 252
Sense-Control Is The Key To Doing Your Duty Properly 253

27th Chapter
Kindness & Compassion 255
The Unity Of The Self, The One Atma Existing Everywhere 255
Harmonization Of Thought, Word And Deed 256
Kindness Is The Hallmark Of A True Human Being 257
A Child Suffused With The Nectar Of Human Kindness 257
God Showers His Grace On Those Who Have Kindness 259
Inner And Outer Purity 260
Conquer Your Inner Enemies 261
The Two Banks Of The River Of Life 262
The Three Principles That Take You To Your Divine Goal 262

28th Chapter
Fearlessness - Seeing The One Self In Everyone 263
Divinity Is The Basis For Everything 263
Fearlessness Is Beyond Body-Consciousness 264
Fear Of Death - The Most Powerful Of All Fears 265
Fearlessness Is The Very Nature Of A Human Being 266
The Grand Meeting Of All The Animals 267
In What Way Are Human Beings Better Than Animals? 269
Through Effort Humans Can Transform Their Lower Nature 270
The Vital Difference Between Human Beings And Animals 272
Most Human Beings Behave Even Worse Than Animals 273
When You Have A Firm Faith In God You Will Be Fearless 273
Develop Good Qualities And Gain The Grace Of The Lord 274

29th Chapter
Turn Towards God & God Will Turn Towards You 276
Sacred Vision 276
Chariot Festivals 277
The Chariot Of The Human Body 278
The Field Of The Heart 280
True Fearlessness 281
The Story Of Gajendra, The Elephant 282
Turn Your Vision Towards God And See Your Self 283
The Elephant Of Arrogance And The Crocodile Of Attachment 284

30th Chapter
To Become Free Surrender Your Mind To God 285
Root Out The Weeds Of Tamas And Rajas 286
Devotion, Wisdom And Detachment Will Keep You Pure 287
The Characteristics Of Rajas 288
Remove All Three Qualities And Gain Liberation 288
King Janaka's Challenge To Gain Self-Knowledge 289
Janaka Achieves Self-Realization 291
For Self-Knowledge Total Surrender To The Guru Is Required 292
Offer Up Your Mind To The Lord 294
Steady Your Mind And Your Body 295

Part Three - Path Of Action 297

31st Chapter
Do Your Duty-Without Concern For The Results 301
The Shield Of Devotion And The Armor Of Wisdom 301
Use Wisdom To Conquer Your Inner Enemies 302
Every Worldly Experience Can Be Traced To Karma 303
Egoism Develops When You Forget The Indweller 303
The Body Is An Inert Thing Made Of The Five Elements 305
From Sacred Actions To Devotional Feelings To Bliss 306
Food Gives Rise To Thoughts, Feelings And Actions 306
Focus On The Action, Not On The Fruit 307
Time, Action, Purpose And Result Apply Only To The Body 308
Turn Desire Towards Wisdom To Gain The Divine Light 309
The Three Types Of Actions 310
Aspire For The Supreme And Never Come Back 311

32nd Chapter
The Yoga Of Action - Relinquishing The Fruit 313
Transform All Your Actions Into Sacred Actions And Be Free 313
Turn Actions Into Yoga Not Roga 314
The Joy Of Doing Is Greater Than The Joy Of The Rewards 315
The Gita Brings The Highest Wisdom Into Daily Life 316
Janaka And Suka 318
The Venom Must Come Out Before Teachings Can Go In 319
The Fire That Brought Out The Attachments Of The Disciples 320
Through Arjuna Krishna Taught The Whole World 321
Ordinary Actions, Detached Actions And Sacred Actions 322
The Gita Will Give You Whatever You Are Ready To Receive 323

33rd Chapter
Developing The Inner Vision 325
You Cannot Run From Your Inner Enemies 325
Transform All Self-Serving Actions Into Selfless Actions 326
Purify Your Actions Before Offering Them To God 327
The Characteristics Of An Enlightened Being 327
By Their Actions People Will Reveal Their Inner Natures 329
The Spell Of Illsuion And Its Two Powerful Forces 330
The Power Of Maya To Delude Can Be Permanently Dispelled 331
A Pure Heart Is Free Of Attachment And Illusion 332
Actions Without Attachment To The Fruits 333
From Ordinary Actions To Buddhi Yoga To Karma Yoga 334
Astravakra At The Assembly Of Scholars 335
Without Inner Vision They Were Shoemakers Not Scholars 337
Let All The Poisons Emerge Without Interference 338
The Six Spiritual Treasures 339

34th Chapter
Remove Body-Consciousness And Realize God 341
You Perform Actions In Order To Sanctify Your Life 342
Make All Your Actions A Sacrifice Not A Battle 343
You Are The Atma, You Are Not This Body 343
God In Human Form Is Not Limited To The Avatars 344
Expand Your View Of Yourself To Understand The Divinity 344
Go From The Individual To The Society To The Divinity 346
The Nature Of Dharma 347
Peace Can Only Be Found Within Yourself 347
For A Marriage There Must Be A Husband 348
Use The Hardships You Encounter As Opportunities & Tests 349
No Need To Carry Your Luggage On Your Head 350
Identify Yourself With The Divinity Not With Your Body 351

Part One - Path Of Devotion

First Chapter

LOVE AND DUTY - THE PATH OF PERFECTION

If you want peace and if you want happiness

You must live in love.
Only through love will you find inner peace.
Only through love will you find true happiness.
Love flourishes through giving and forgiving.
Develop your love.
Immerse yourself in love.
These words of Sai are a stream of love
Flowing out to you.

Embodiments of Love,
There are many fields of knowledge but there is only one supreme knowledge. This
supreme knowledge is self-knowledge, the knowledge of the immortal self. It is
the knowledge of your unchanging reality, your true self - that which was never
born and which will never die. There are many other types of knowledge. There
are the different fields of art, science, commerce and education. But, these
will only help you to gain some transitory worldly objectives and worldly
pleasures. To realize the eternal bliss that is your own true nature you must
have self-knowledge. It is the only knowledge that enables you to know the inner
peace and the unending joy which is your own truth, your real identity. When you
shine with self-knowledge, you become love itself. You become pure and
completely selfless. Then you will always be in perfect harmony with all
existence.

Self-Knowledge is God-Knowledge
Self-knowledge is not different from God-knowledge. The sacred knowledge of God
and the sacred knowledge of the immortal self are one and the same. They are the
one divine wisdom. When you realize the one self everywhere, you become
established in unity consciousness. Then you see only the oneness in all the
diversity that is around you. From that moment on, you transcend worldly
existence and gain the immortality you have been seeking.

What is the basis for this supreme knowledge? Its basis is purity of the mind.
To purify your mind you must suffuse your whole life with spirituality. Engage
yourself in noble activities. Associate with spiritually-minded people. Observe
exemplary conduct in your daily life. Strive to do your duty to perfection. Live
your life so that it is one of selfless service and virtuous deeds. And study
the wisdom teachings of the ages; put them into daily practice; let these
teachings serve as your guideposts. Then your mind will become purified. And
with a pure mind you will be able to discriminate between the permanent and the
temporary, between that which is beneficial and that which is detrimental to
your spiritual progress. Then all your ordinary daily activities will become
sacred and God's grace will be showered upon you.

Now, you may be highly learned in secular knowledge, you may be a great scholar
or you may be a world-renown expert in a number of fields. But all your titles
and achievements cannot confer on you real wisdom. To be truly wise and remove
the grief from your heart, you must know who you really are. You must realize
your immortal self. You cannot transcend grief by any other path. Only the
knowledge of your true self will allow you to overcome all suffering and misery.
This is the only knowledge that can bestow on you all happiness. When you master
a worldly field of knowledge you earn the respect of your peers. You may become
famous and fulfill your worldly aspirations, but it is only when you acquire
self-knowledge that you deserve and earn the grace of God. When you have that,
you become ever blissful. You enjoy the ultimate happiness.

Who are those who deserve to learn this sacred knowledge? Is it, as some would
contend, exclusively reserved for old people, or does a child deserve to learn
it? Is it to be given only to religious initiates or should it be made available
also to those who have no previous religious background? Should it be kept for
men alone or are women equally eligible? Truly, to gain this wisdom, race,
color, age, gender, nationality or social status are of no consequence. The sage
Valmiki in his earlier life had been a highway robber, the sage Narada was born
of a lowly maidservant; yet, they both became great spiritual lights. Everyone
is equally entitled to acquire this supreme wisdom.

The Lord comes to those who have devotion for him; he looks at the heart and not
at the outer status. Develop your devotion. Devotion is very important to human
life. The Lord said in the Gita, "You become very dear to me when you serve me
with a loving heart."

Faith in Yourself and Faith in God

When the Lord counsels you to develop your devotion it does not mean that you
should neglect your worldly duties. Prepare yourself thoroughly for all your
worldly tasks. Take great care to properly learn the secular knowledge which you
need to discharge your duties. Most importantly, always have faith in yourself,
faith that you will be able to fulfill the role for which you have taken human
life. Faith in yourself and faith in God is the real secret of greatness. In
truth, they are the same, for faith in yourself means having faith in your
innate divinity.

Worldly knowledge can only give you food and shelter, whereas self-knowledge
gives you the greatest treasure of all, the realization of your own reality.
Still, without some worldly knowledge, you will not be able to obtain the
knowledge of the eternal. You should not be careless in the sphere of worldly
knowledge. Spiritual knowledge needs to be balanced with worldly knowledge. The
sages Valmiki and Vyasa were honored by everyone. They wrote many holy
scriptures, including those timeless epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
They were great spiritual lights, but they were also very well versed in worldly
knowledge. Otherwise, how could they ever have written such great classics?
Everything in the world is derived from God. When everything comes from him,
what can you possibly offer him? The only thing you can offer him is your love.
That is all he expects from you. That is why a great poet sang,

Beloved Lord, You are the all-pervading reality.

When the entire universe is filled with you,
How can I build a temple to you?
When you are effulgent like millions upon millions of suns,
How can I offer you my small candle light?
When you are the indwelling reality of all beings,
How can I call you by a particular name?
When the entire universe is in your stomach,
How can I offer you a little food in worship?
All I can offer you is my love,
And all I can hope to do is to empty myself in you,
Who are the ocean of divine love.

The Formless takes a Form

For the sake of human satisfaction you give name and form to the Lord. But in
reality he does not have any form at all. Yet, he will take on a form so that
you can express your devotion to him and worship him, and thereby satisfy some
of your spiritual yearnings. Whatever form of the Lord you choose to follow,
worship him with a loving heart.

Ramakrishna was not a learned man in secular matters; he was barely literate.
But his mind was always engaged in worshipping the divine mother. With his heart
brimming with love, he dedicated his entire life to the worship of the divine
mother. He was living on only five rupees per month; that was enough for all his
needs. Through his intense, one-pointed devotion, he became luminous. Today he
is well-known throughout the world; you can find Ramakrishna Missions
everywhere. He is universally honored.

Similarly, a robber like Ratnakara became the great sage Valmiki because of his
love for God. Prahlada was the son of a demon, nevertheless he became luminous
and pure with the divine love he had for God. Hanuman, a monkey, by repeating
the name of Rama, became a glorious being who is honored throughout India.
Jatayu was a bird, who because of his great love for Rama merged in the divine
principle when he gave up his life. For devotion towards God, race, creed,
gender or any other distinctions make no difference at all. Everyone is equally
eligible.

The chapter on devotion is the most important chapter in the Gita. That is why
we have started with it today. Devotion; is not merely repeating the name of
God. It is an undying and pure love for God. It is completely selfless in its
nature, bereft of any worldly desires. It is pure, permanent and eternal. This
divine love should be practiced constantly in your daily life.

Divine Consciousness
To begin with, you must know who you really are. Are you the body? If you are
the body then why do you say, "This is my body"? Since you call it, "my body",
you must be something different from the body. When you say, "my heart", then
that means that you are something different from your heart. Your heart is an
object possessed by you, its owner. You declare, "This is my brother, this is my
sister, this is my mind, my body, my intellect". The unchanging element in all
of these declarations is my. There is a true I, which stands behind this little
my and gives rise to it. It is really the deepest consciousness in everyone and
in everything. It is the universal I, the divine consciousness. This ddivine
consciousness; is all-pervading. It is within you, around you, below you, above
you, and beside you. Truly, it is you.

This divine consciousness can be found everywhere, in everything in the world.

But to realize it, the mind must be turned inwards. You must become inner-
directed and search out your own truth. You must realize that you are not this,
you are not that... you are not the mind, you are not the body, you are not the
intellect. Then who are you? The answer comes, "I am I". This is the right path
to follow for SS self-realization;. This can only develop when you follow the
path of love, the path of devotion. To search for God there is no other way.

Everywhere you look, the formless has taken on forms. God is present everywhere.
But in order that you may comprehend him, he has taken on a particular name and
form. He is everywhere as the formless divinity, but before you can get that
realization, you have to develop your love and devotion for the Lord with form.
Therefore, in the beginning, you enter the devotional path at the lowest rung,
and worship the Lord with a name and form. Then steadily, inch by inch, you rise
to a higher state. You withdraw your mind from the external world and worship
the formless, until finally you realize your own reality as the formless divine
principle. That is self-realization.

Work, Worship and Wisdom

Without flowers you cannot have fruits. The maturation of the flowers into the
unripe fruits and then into the ripe fruits, is the path of self-realization.
The flowering stage is the path of service. When it progresses to the unripe
fruits it is the path of devotion. When the fruits become ripe and full of the
sweet nectar of wisdom, then it becomes the path of Sself-knowledge;. At that
point, the flowers of good works and service have transformed themselves through
love and devotion into the sweet fruits of wisdom. Therefore, good works lead
naturally to worship and detachment, and on to wisdom. On the spiritual path, it
is not enough to just worship; you must also engage in good works. But your
works become worship when you steep every deed with love for the Lord and offer
all your works to him.

As long as you are in this world, you must be engaged in work. Work is very
important for human beings. It is through your work and activities that you
learn to harmonize thoughts, words and deeds. For great souls, thoughts, words
and deeds are always one. At first you will yearn for the fruits of your work.
In the beginning, when there is still a great deal of desire, you will not be
able to perform your work without a desire to enjoy the fruits. Later, however,
you will become totally selfless and unconcerned with the fruits of your work.
In that way, gradually, your work becomes converted into worship and, in time,
you will be doing everything only for the love of God.

Truth is one, but the sages call it by many names. The divinity is one, but many
names are used to speak of this one absolute reality. From the one come the
many. When a child is born it is called a baby. As it grows up it becomes a
youth. After twenty years it becomes an adult and later a parent. Later still in
life, it becomes a grandparent. But these are all one and the same entity.
Similarly, the ultimate reality is always one and the same. When you realize
this unity and remain firmly established in the one divinity underlying all the
changing names and forms, you will have achieved something that is truly
worthwhile.
Extinction of Delusion
Have a clear understanding of the Gita in your heart. What is the essence of the
Gita teachings? Some say that it is the path of service and action, and others
say that it is the path of love and devotion. Still others say that it is the
path of knowledge and wisdom. But these are all partial truths. The Gita starts
with a verse whose first word is dharma, which means duty or right action. The
concluding verse of the Gita ends with the word 'my'. When these words are taken
together they become 'my duty' or 'my work'. That summarizes the whole teaching
of the Gita. It means you should perform your prescribed duty to the very limits
of the human capacity for excellence and perfection, doing the work that is
appropriate to your stage of life.

When you are a student study your lessons well. When you are a householder
perform your work and family responsibilities properly. When you are retired
perform the duties appropriate to that stage, and if you have renounced the
world to engage yourself in contemplation of the reality, then stick to that
path. When you follow your prescribed duty in the very best way possible,
discharging your duty sincerely and conscientiously, then there will be no
confusion or misery.

Arjuna had to perform his duty on the battlefield. His calling was to be a
warrior and to combat evil and protect the good. But, when he saw his friends
and relations arrayed on both sides of the battlefield, he forgot his strong
resolve to fight for right, the fight for which he had been preparing for so
long. He became full of attachments and delusion, and threw down his bow. He
abandoned his duty and became miserable. Krishna taught Arjuna how to free
himself from despair by adhering to his prescribed duty. Krishna taught Arjuna
the truth of the immortal self, and showed him that his duty was to follow the
inner promptings of the Lord, who was enshrined in his heart. When Krishna
finished his teachings, he asked Arjuna, "Have your attachments and delusions
disappeared?" Arjuna picked up his bow and answered, "My despair has completely
vanished. All my delusion is now gone. I will do as you command!"

As long as you have delusion you will be in a state of bondage. When you suffer
from delusion and infatuation, liberation is impossible. Liberation has nothing
to do with worldly pleasures. It is not an air-conditioned car or a comfortable
life. It is the complete destruction of delusion. i.It is the extinction of all
worldly attachments, the incineration of all selfish desires.

From now on, do your duty to perfection and become ideals for mankind. Apply the
teachings of the Gita in your daily life and be blessed with grace. Many of you
are just wasting your time. Start today to reform yourself. Don't waste time.
Time is God. Every day spend some time on these holy teachings and contemplate
their inner meaning. Once they are understood, put them into practice. Only in
this way will you be able to attain a sacred life, a life of purity and
perfection, which is the mark of a true human being.

Second Chapter

SURRENDER - TRANSFORMATION OF MAN INTO GOD

Krishna declared in the Gita, "If you surrender yourself fully to me and take
shelter in me, you will be protected by me. I will drive away your sins and
guide you towards self-realization." You must treasure this statement in your
heart. Steadfastly follow the path of surrender to the Lord and he will look
after you and take you to him.
Embodiments of Love,
God's power is immeasurable and unlimited. The huge diversity you see when you
look out at the universe is all the result of the illusory power of God. The
physical universe visible to your human eyes is just a very small part of the
infinite power of the Lord. All the worlds can be covered by a fraction of the
foot of the Lord. It is impossible to understand the greatness of the Lord. He
pervades the entire universe, gross and subtle. No place exists where he is not.

The Universe
The universe is the body of God. He has embodied himself in the creation. To
understand the divine principle on which the universe rests, you can begin by
considering the vast size of the universe. The moon is hundreds of thousands of
miles away from the earth. The sun is many tens of millions of miles away. Even
the nearest of stars is millions upon millions of miles away; and beyond that,
in the furthest reaches of the visible universe, there are stars that are still
billions of times further away. But, all of this, which constitutes the physical
universe, and which to our limited view is so infinitely vast, is only the
minutest part of the subtle universe. Compared to this subtle universe, the
whole grand physical universe is no more than the size of an atom.

The subtle universe, which is so indescribably huge when compared to the

physical universe, is itself only a microscopic part of a much, much vaster
aspect of the universe, which can be described as the causal universe. It is
known as the causal universe because it is out of this finest aspect that the
gross and subtle worlds arise. All of these three worlds, the physical, the
subtle (or mental), and the causal, are so enormously big, the scriptures have
declared that they cannot possibly be understood by the human mind or depicted
in words. They are beyond the imagination, beyond the ability of the mind to
grasp. And yet beyond all these, transcending the gross, the subtle and the
causal, is the divine principle, the ultimate cause of all.

The Path of Devotion

God is beyond the gross, the subtle and the causal. But, as Lord, he rules over
all of them. He is the master of time, past, present and future. Human beings
have been given limited capacities and may find it very difficult to understand
this divine principle. In that case, the easiest path to follow is the path of
devotion. This is what Krishna taught Arjuna. Krishna described the path of
devotion in three steps.

First and foremost is:

Work for God! - You may not be aware of it, but every bit of work you do is
already being done for God. He is the supreme master of this world and
everything in this world belongs to him. Knowing this, consciously make every
action you undertake an offering to God. Devote all your labors to him, while
being ever mindful that God is not outside of you.

The second step is:

For the sake of God alone! - Up to this point you have been thinking only
about yourself. But who are you? Who is this I that you use to refer to
yourself? Krishna said, "It is I who am shining in you." This word I does not
belong to the body, neither to your own body nor to Krishna's. This I emanates
from the highest self, the immortal self, the atma. This I should not be equated
with the body or the mind or the intuitive faculty or any other aspect of the
individual. It transcends the limited personal self of the individual. This I
relates only to the unlimited, impersonal self, the divine self, which is the
real self of everyone.
The limited personal self by calling itself "I", has associated itself with the
universal. But the personal self is not the real self. It is merely a reflection
of the one immortal, divine self. Whatever you have been doing has been for the
satisfaction of the divine self alone. Not realizing this sacred truth, you have
been caught up and swept away by delusion. Krishna told Arjuna, "Whatever you
do, do it for my satisfaction, for my sake. Do everything you do for me. Perform
all your actions on my behalf. Act as my agent." This me or my or I which
Krishna is speaking of, is not God outside of yourself. It refers to the atma,
your divine self. Do everything you do for the sake of God alone, who is none
other than your highest self.

The third step is:

Be devoted only to God! - Understand the inner secret of this directive.
Devotion is the expression of love, and the emotion which is called love
emanates from God, your highest self. Love comes from God and is directed
towards God.

Love has nothing at all to do with worldly feelings and secular things. Love,
which is just another word for devotion, is the very name of your highest self.
This principle of love emanating from the core of your heart must saturate every
action, word and thought. This will happen when you think that everything you
do, say or think is for the satisfaction of God alone.

Your Highest Self is God

In the waking state, you may think that you are doing everything for the sake of
your body and mind. But in deep sleep you are not conscious of your body or your
mind. Then for whose sake are you enjoying the rest and peace of sleep? It is
for the sake of yourself. Sleeping, taking food, all the various activities of
your daily life, are performed only out of love for yourself. You believe that
you are doing all these for your personal self which you experience to be
separate from God, but the I that you call yourself really emerges from your
highest self which is no different from God. Whatever you do out of love for
yourself reaches your highest self and, therefore, reaches God. So you must do
everything with the awareness that whatever action you undertake, good or bad,
will certainly reach God. Devotion means making all your actions sacred and
dedicating them to God alone.

In the ancient scripture we find a conversation between a sage and his wife in
which the sage explained these inner meaning to his wife. He said to her, "For
whose sake are you loving me? If you examine your deepest intentions you will
discover that it is for your self. The wife does not love the husband for the
husband's sake. It is for herself that she loves the husband and that self is
the true self, her highest self. You may think that the mother loves the child
for the sake of the child, but it is not so. It is for herself that she loves
the child. Again, it is for her highest self. You may feel that the teacher
loves the student for the student's sake, but it is really for the teacher's
sake that he loves the student. Similarly, the devotee does not love God for
God's sake; it is really for himself that he loves God."

When the devotee feels the deep joy of love for God, he believes it is his
personal self that is feeling this joy. And so his love for God is tinged with
selfishness. But, God's love for the devotee is totally different. God's love
for the devotee is not selfish. It is only for the devotee's sake. Herein lies
an important hidden truth which can be found behind every spiritual practice.
God has no sense of individuality or separation. He does not feel that some
things are his and others are not his. When there exists a feeling of difference
and individuality, then selfishness and the sense of I-ness and my-ness arise.
But God does not limit himself to any particular form. He has no separate
feeling of mine and thine. He has no selfishness. These three injunctions, "Work
for God!... For the sake of God alone!... Be devoted only to God!..." are given
for your sake. They are not given for the benefit of God but for your benefit.
They are intended to help you realize your true self by removing all traces of
selfishness and separation which becloud your truth and keep you from being one
with God.

The Unlimited Power of God

If you want a little breeze you may take a hand-fan and wave it so that you get
a little air. On the other hand, when there is a powerful whirlwind you find
very big waves crashing against the shore of the ocean and even huge trees being
uprooted. The breeze you can get from a hand-fan will be very limited, but the
power of God is tremendous; it is unlimited. Consider some other examples. When
you try to draw water from a well, you can draw only a very small quantity. But
when there is a heavy downpour, streams will become rushing rivers which join
together in one great flood. One comes from the limited power of man, the other
comes from the unlimited power of God.

Take the example of wanting some light in your house. You may light a candle or
switch on an electric lamp. But at dawn when the sun rises, the whole city and
forest will soon be flooded with the sun's light. The little light of your lamp
is very weak compared to the splendor of the sun, shining magnificently
everywhere. Again, this is the unlimited power of God, compared to the limited
power of man. How can you reach this unlimited power of God? How can the limited
capacity of a human being be transformed into the unlimited capacity of God? The
means is surrender.

The Lord has declared in the Gita, "I will destroy all your sins and raise you
to the supreme position which is my own." How can that happen? The physical
world that you see with your human eyes is the gross aspect of the universe.
When this gross aspect takes a subtle form in the mind you have the subtle
universe. And when the mental takes a still finer and more subtle form in the
heart, then you have the causal universe. The infinite Lord is beyond all these.
He is the biggest of the big, but he takes the form of the smallest of the
small, and installs himself in the very heart of the devotee, deep in the causal
aspect. The wonderful truth is that such a vast, unlimited and powerful Lord
allows himself to be imprisoned in the heart of the devotee. Here is a story to
illustrate this.

The Devotee is Even Greater Than God

Once upon a time, sage Narada came into the presence of the Lord. The Lord asked
him, "Narada, in all your travels through the world have you been able to
discover the principal secret of the universe? Have you been able to understand
the mystery behind this world? Everywhere you look you see the five great
elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether. Which do you think occupies the
first place? Of everything that is to be found in the universe what is the most
important of all?"

Narada thought for awhile and then answered, "Lord, of the five elements the
densest, biggest and most important is surely the earth element." The Lord
answered, "How can the earth element be biggest when three-fourths of the earth
is covered by water and only one-fourth is land? Such a big earth is being
swallowed by the water. What is bigger, the thing that is being swallowed or
that which is swallowing it?" Narada acknowledged that water must be bigger
because it had swallowed the Earth.

The Lord continued his questioning. He said, "But Narada, we have the ancient
tale that when the demons hid in the waters, then in order to find them, a great
sage came and swallowed up the whole ocean in one gulp. Do you think the sage is
greater or the ocean is greater?" Narada had to agree that without doubt the
sage was certainly greater than the water he had swallowed. "But," continued the
Lord, "it is said that when he left his earthly body, this same sage became a
star in the heavens. Such a great sage is now appearing only as a small star in
the vast expanse of the sky. Then what do you think is bigger; is it the sage or
is it the sky that is bigger?" Narada answered, "Swami, the sky is surely bigger
than the sage." Then the Lord asked, "Yet we know that one time when the Lord
came as avatar and incarnated in a dwarf-body, he expanded himself so hugely
that he was able to cover both the earth and the sky with his one foot. Do you
think God's foot is bigger or the sky?" "O, God's foot is certainly bigger,"
Narada replied. But, the Lord asked, "If God's foot is so big, then what about
his infinite form?"

Now, Narada felt that he had come to the final conclusion. "Yes," he said
exultantly, "the Lord is the biggest of all. He is infinite beyond measure. In
all the worlds there is nothing greater than he." But the Lord had still one
more question. "What about the devotee who has been able to imprison this
infinite Lord within his own heart? Now tell me, Narada, who is greater, the
devotee who has the Lord locked up or the Lord who is locked up by the devotee?"
Narada had to admit that the devotee was even greater than the Lord, and that,
therefore, the devotee must rank first in importance over everything, surpassing
even the Lord.

You Can Bind God With the Power Of Love

Such an enormous power which can bind even God, is within the scope of every
devotee. Whatever be the immensity and capacity of any power, however
magnificent it may be, if it is bound by something else, then that which binds
it must be considered more powerful. The awesome power of God has been bound by
the power of love; therefore, in this path of devotion, you can tie up the Lord
himself and keep him locked in your heart.

If you take a drop of water from the ocean and keep it in the palm of your hand,
compared with the ocean the drop appears very, very small. But put that same
drop of water back into the ocean and it becomes a part of the infinite ocean.
If your smallness as a human being is joined together with the vast power of the
Lord, you become infinite and all-powerful; you become one with God. In the
scriptures it is said, "The knower of God verily becomes God." In other words,
the very process of knowing God merges you into oneness with God. This process
which joins God and you together is called the path of devotion.

Unfortunately, many people today choose not to even recognize God; instead they
prefer to rely only on their own limited strength and to be impressed only by
human achievement. They are prepared to bend low before a village officer or a
petty government official, but they refuse to show humility and obedience to the
all-powerful cosmic personality, who is the master of the universe. God, who is
the origin and cause of everything seen and unseen, is being ignored. The reason
for this sad state is that very few have been able to understand the underlying
truth behind this vast manifested universe. If they were to see that everything
is but a reflection of the one divinity, they would never follow the wrong path.
If you have a wish-fulfilling tree in your courtyard why search for wild fruits
in the forest? If you have the all-giving celestial cow in your house why wander
around the market place looking for milk to buy? If you recognize the unlimited
benefits you derive from having the celestial cow, you would never look
elsewhere and get caught up in trivial pursuits. For little minds even small
things look very big. You get what you deserve; think little and you become
little. Little thoughts breed little natures. You are attracted by small things
because you think that your power is limited. But truly speaking, your power is
unlimited.

From Duality to Non-Duality

You remain small by identifying yourself with the body. You think, 'I am the
body'. This thought keeps you in a state of littleness. But expand your view
from 'I am the body' to 'I am the soul, the spark of the divine.' In this way
rise up from the stage of dualism to the intermediary stage of qualified non-
dualism. Then, you must expand further from 'I am the soul, a part of the
divine' to 'I am the divinity itself, I am no different from God. God and I are
always one.' That is the highest spiritual stage, the stage of complete non-
dualism. The feeling you start with, that you are the body, is steeped in
dualism; it is the very birthplace of sorrow. As long as you are immersed in
duality everything is sorrow and grief. If you identify yourself with the
supreme self everything will be happiness and joy.

You must elevate your thinking and always identify yourself with your highest
self, thus giving up the false identification with the body. This is the proper
attitude for worship. Worship in Sanskrit is called upasana, which means sitting
near to God. But it is not enough to just sit close by and be near. The frog
sits on the lotus but does it benefit from the sweet nectar that is in the
lotus? Just being near the Lord is of no use; you must also be dear to him. You
must be able to taste the honey.

Your neighbors may be very near to you, but you do not get too deeply affected
by whatever problems and difficulties they may be experiencing. Compared with
this, if your husband or son is half a world away and you don't get a letter for
even one week, you begin to worry. In this case the body is far away, but your
mutual love makes you near and dear. Your relationship with your neighbors is
not charged with the same love, although they are very near. Consider another
example. In a house there may be some mice and ants running around. Do you call
them your friends? Along with physical nearness there must also be dearness. A
deep feeling of love must develop and permeate the relationship. You must be
near and dear to the Lord.

Near and Dear

What benefit will you derive by being near and dear? If you sit close to a lamp
you get light, and with the help of its illumination you are able to do some
useful activities at night. If you sit under a fan you get a cool breeze and the
heat that was causing you discomfort will be dispelled. During the cold season
of the year, if you sit near a fire you will be protected from the cold which
may be bothering you then. In each case, one quality is removed and another
takes its place.

Similarly, if you are close to the Lord, if you become dear to him, then you
will get his love, and soon all the bad qualities in you will vanish away and be
replaced by the good qualities that God embodies. Develop your love so that you
may get ever nearer and nearer and dearer and dearer to God. The easiest way to
get closer to God is to remember him in whatever you see, whatever you say and
whatever you do. Think only of God and how to get nearer and dearer to him.
On the path of devotion it is not enough for you to love God but you must also
engage in activities which are pleasing to the Lord, so that you can evoke God's
love and feel his love for you. There are a number of characteristics that a
devotee should possess which will endear him to the Lord. Treat censure or
praise, heat or cold, profit or loss, joy or sorrow, honor or dishonor, or any
of the other pairs of opposites, with an equal mind. Do not get dejected when
you are criticized or elated when you are praised. Do not be overjoyed by profit
or come to grief when there is loss. Treat heat and cold with an equal attitude,
they can both be a source of joy to you.

During the winter warm clothing will be desirable and being near a source of
heat will give you comfort from the cold. But, during the summer you will want
thin clothes and you will welcome the cold. Heat gives joy sometimes, cold gives
joy at other times; the way you use them determines whether you experience this
joy or not. Heat and cold, profit and loss, and, in fact, all the various pairs
of opposites and everything else in the world have their usefulness. Everything
has been created for a purpose; but you need to use them in a way which is
appropriate to your life and your stage of development.

Show No Hatred Towards Any Being

It would be utter foolishness to give a golden cup to a child or to give a sword
to a madman. A golden cup, which is highly valuable, should be given only to a
person who would appreciate its value. Such a person will derive great joy from
it and know how to use it. In the same way, the one who knows the value of
devotion will use it to fill himself and others with pure joy. Genuine love will
never give trouble to anyone, it will never lead one to hate another. In the
12th chapter of the Gita the desirable qualities of a devotee are enumerated;
they start with 'Let there be no enmity directed towards any creature in the
world.' Repeating parrot-like, "Lord, I love you", "Lord, I love you", while at
the same time giving trouble to others cannot be considered devotion.

You become a devotee, filled with love and devotion, when you surrender yourself
completely and are ready to carry out every command of the Lord. Arjuna, out of
pride and egoism was feeling dejected; but after listening to the Lord, Arjuna
fell at the divine feet and said, "Lord, I am your disciple. Teach me what is
good for me. I surrender myself fully to you." Up until that time they were
treating each other as brothers-in-law. Arjuna was married to Krishna's sister.
But once Arjuna said, "I will do as you say. I will carry out your commands!",
he became a devotee. The transformation took place in his mind, as he changed
the relationship from a brother-in-law to that of a disciple, with the Lord as
his teacher. Such a mental transformation is absolutely essential for a devotee.
Without this, whatever level of closeness you feel you may have developed with
the Lord, your devotion will remain fruitless and useless.

Being aware of these high principles, do your duty in life. Maintain an even
mind and make sure that the work you do is good, and that it is always
appropriate to the occasion. These verses from the Gita should not merely be
memorized but they must be put into practice. When you fully understand their
meaning and practice them in your daily life, your worries will soon leave you
and all your sorrows will disappear.

Third Chapter

EARNING GOD'S LOVE

The Lord said in the Gita, "Develop steady and unwavering devotion for me and
you will become very dear to me."

Embodiments of Love,
In the world, you can earn money, you can gain wealth and property, you can
attain honor and prestige, you can gain position and power. All these are
rewards you can attain from your worldly endeavors. But the Lord declared in the
Gita that these are but temporary fruits. They are transient and have no lasting
value. The only thing you can attain through your life here on earth that is of
real value, that remains with you permanently and eternally, is the love of God.
This divine love is extraordinary. No price can ever be set upon it. It is a
treasure that is valuable beyond all measure. You must make every effort to
discover the means for acquiring this precious love of God.

The Love of God

God's love is unconditional. It is the same for all. But what must you do to
experience this extraordinary love of God? What path should you follow ? If you
sow some seeds without first weeding and properly preparing the field, you
cannot expect to get a good crop. In the same way, in the field of the heart,
unless all the bad traits of selfishness are first removed, you will not get a
good crop. In the Gita it is taught that the principal weed that has to be
removed from the field of the heart is the attachment to and identification with
the body. Even now, you may imagine that you love God; but merely having this
thought will not produce any worthwhile result for you. It is like sowing good
seeds on barren, unprepared soil. The most important thing for you to find out
is if you are dear to God. Even if you love God, if you haven't transformed your
life to become very dear to him and feel his boundless, unvarying love, then
your devotion will not have taken you very far.

What, then, is the way to become dear to God? You will find the answer to this
question in the Gita, in the chapter on the path of devotion. The chapter on
devotion gives a number of human qualities that are very pleasing to God. It
speaks of being resolute and making a firm commitment to practice only the
spiritual teachings in your daily life. It puts great emphasis on developing
steadiness of mind under all circumstances. And it enjoins you to be fully
contented and joyful at all times, under all conditions. What is the inner
meaning of this last directive?

True Joy
Consider the feelings you get from singing devotional songs at a spiritual
function. If a song is being sung that is not very familiar to you or whose
melody is not especially pleasing to your ear or if you are not drawn to the
particular aspect of the divinity to which it is being sung, you might find that
you have very little real feeling towards the song. You merely follow the song
perfunctorily with your lips. What a great difference between that and a song
which you love, which comes from the very core of your heart, emerging freely,
spontaneously, with a great deal of joy, filling you with rapture and devotion
for God.

In the same way, there is a vast difference between the temporary joys you
derive from this apparent world and its transitory objects and phenomena, and
the true joy that emerges from the depths of your heart. The latter joy is
totally different from the temporary satisfaction you get from worldly things.
This deep joy coming from the heart is associated with truth. It is permanent.
It is detached from all transient worldly concerns. It represents the unity of
the spirit. For this joy there is no possibility of change. There is nothing
that can be added to true joy. It is full and complete in itself.
True joy comes from equanimity. Do not be carried away by or attach any
importance to worldly things. Use your time and effort to control the vagaries
of the mind and develop mental steadiness. .Equal-mindedness; means that you
remain unaffected by victory or defeat, by profit or loss, by joy or sorrow.
Accept whatever happens, whatever comes your way, as the gift of God, to be
enjoyed with great satisfaction, regarding it as a gift of love given to you for
your own good. When your heart is not swayed by worldly things, when you treat
all people and all things with equal-mindedness, then you will experience true
joy. Then your heart will be filled with feelings of love and satisfaction, and
you will know the true joy of devotion.

Courage and Steadiness

Another important quality that every devotee must possess is to be resolute and
courageous. It is completely natural for you to have courage and a firm resolve.
You can manifest these qualities in a number of ways in life. You may use these
attributes to climb mountains. The same sense of adventure and courage may be
used for crossing the ocean or traversing through wild jungles. You may also
behave in a courageous and resolute manner in earning wealth, acquiring
properties and making a profit. Or, you may be brave and courageous, but
manifest these qualities in a merciless manner. You may choose to abandon all
the noble qualities of humanity and divinity and, instead, acquire the qualities
of a demon. This firmness and resolve may be used either for good or for bad.
How you use these God-given qualities depends upon you.

Earlier in his life, the great sage Valmiki was Ratnakara, the despicable
robber. At that time he was using all his courage, prowess and firmness in an
evil way. Thanks to his association with the seven sages, and listening to their
teachings advising him to constantly repeat the name of God, he was able to
transform his life, and use his strong determination and powers for the good of
mankind. Soon he had the name of Rama constantly on his tongue. That is how he
became the author of the Ramayana, the great epic recounting the life of Rama.
Therefore, you should not use your steadiness and firmness in doing bad things
or even for ordinary worldly things. Instead, use your courage and resolve to
acquire the grace of God.

Worship of God With and Without a Form

In the chapter on devotion, Krishna expounds on the worship of God both with and
without a form. The Gita compares these two modes of worship and points out
which is better, which is easier and safer for devotees at each stage of their
spiritual progress. The Gita declares that it is impossible to realize the
formless and attributeless divine principle except by going through the stage of
worshipping God with form and attributes.

As long as you have attachment to your body and remain steeped in body
consciousness, you will not be able to understand and reach the formless aspect
of the Supreme. You attain the necessary qualifications to worship the formless
only after you have overcome your attachment to the body, your attachment to the
world, and all your other attachments. Therefore, as long as you identify
yourself with the body, and think that you have a particular form, then you must
also visualize God with a form. So, you start your spiritual journey by
worshipping God in a particular incarnation, having certain recognizable divine
qualities. Gradually, after following this path for some time, you can change
your practice to worshipping the formless aspect of the Supreme.

In truth, the whole world is the form of God. Everything you see everywhere is
the form of God. But to begin with, you focus on a particular form of God, one
of the avatars or incarnations of God. These divine incarnations are associated
with the physical universe. Corresponding to these physical forms there are the
subtle forms of the Lord which are in the mental or the subtle aspect of the
universe. The physical and mental domains have to do with the senses and the
mind. Transcending both the senses and the mind is the causal universe. This
causal universe is made up of the subtlest manifestation of matter, containing
in potential form the seeds of all names and forms. This causal aspect is
experienced every night in deep sleep. Here the formless aspect of the Lord can
be experienced.

During the waking state the effect of the mind and the senses will be very
strong because they are associated with the phenomenal world. During the dream
state, associated with the subtle world, the senses will not hold sway over you,
but the mind will be very active. In the deep sleep state, associated with the
causal world, the mind gets dissolved and does not comprehend the sense
impressions. It is only in such a state, when the mind and senses are totally
inactive, that it is possible to experience the formless aspect of the divinity.
But, this can be experienced even in the waking state, when the mind becomes
perfectly steady and equanimous and the senses are maintained tranquil and
inactive. Then, you enter the causal state while awake and experience the
formless aspect of divinity.

Many devotees base their spiritual experiences only on God manifest in name and
form. The form and the formless are both essential for a devotee. It is like
having two legs for walking or having two wings to fly. To reach the final
spiritual goal you must have the two legs of form and formless, putting one in
front of the other, with the one leg representing form, taking its support from
the other, which is the formless. It is important to realize that the
manifestation of the Lord with form is only transient, whereas the formless
aspect of the divinity is permanent. It is everpresent and unchanging. Here is a
small example to illustrate this principle.

Only the Formless is the Permanent Aspect of the Lord

When you come to hear Baba give a spiritual discourse, you will be with about a
thousand others seated in the temple. This will be happening in the physical
domain, and may last for one to two hours. Associated with this experience is a
given time and activity. But this very same experience can be re-experienced
even after you go home. Whenever you want to think of it, it will be there in
your mind... one thousand people seated in the temple and Sai Baba giving the
discourse. In the external vision and in your experience in the waking state,
you can see that all of you are sitting in the temple. What happens when you are
back in your home? You find this temple will be in your heart and can be
recalled to your mind at any time.

You were there for one hour, but this can become a permanent experience for you
forever, even after you leave the ashram. Having initially had the physical
experience in the phenomenal world, it becomes a permanent record in the subtle
universe of the mind, which can then be recalled at some later time. As you
repeatedly recollect this experience and ruminate on Baba's teachings, its
message becomes permanently embedded in your heart.

Without first having had the actual experience in the hall, there would have
been no permanent impression in your heart which you could later re-experience
in your mind. Once the impression has been made in the mind, there is no need
for actually being physically present in the temple or seeing Baba's physical
form. In the same way, once you have experienced God in form, you will certainly
be able to get the experience of the formless God later on. The form is
momentary whereas the formless is eternal; but the formless will live on as a
permanent entity for you only after first having experienced the divine form and
imprinted it on your heart through worship and devotion.

Consider another example. Suppose you want to teach the word 'chair' to a small
child. If you merely utter the word 'chair' it does not become clear to him what
its form is. However, you can show him a chair like this and ask him to look it
over carefully. While he is doing this you repeat the word 'chair'. Then later
on, whenever he sees a chair he will remember the word associated with the form
you have shown him and he will repeat to himself 'chair'. The form of the
particular chair you used to teach him the meaning of the word may be
impermanent. That chair will change, but the word 'chair' and the type of
objects it represents will remain. Unless he sees the impermanent form he will
not learn the permanent word 'chair'. The permanent element is understood
through the impermanent one. Therefore, though divinity is formless, you first
have to associate it with a particular form to understand it.

Steady Your Mind By Worshipping the Divinity With Form

To start with, many people do not even have a firm faith in the existence of
God. Most of the time their mind will be wavering, and they will ask themselves,
"Does God really exist? Is it really true that there is a God?" An iron resolve
is most essential to cultivate constant faith in God. You can travel from an
unsteady mind to a steady mind with firm faith only through the process of
worshipping the divinity with form. Consider one more small example.

Here is a pillow stuffed with loose cotton. What covers this pillow? A piece of
cloth. What is the content of this cloth? Cotton. So externally you have a piece
of cloth and internally there is the cotton. But, in fact, the internal and the
external are both cotton. The formless cotton has taken the form of thread, and
this thread has become cloth, and this cloth is covering the formless cotton.
Cloth is form and raw cotton is formless. From the formless to the form and then
from the form to the formless, these are the transformations that make up
divinity. To have a pillow you cannot use the formless cotton alone. So, you
must first convert the cotton into cloth and this cloth having form can then
cover the formless cotton inside.

In the same way, the divinity in form and in its formless aspect are exactly the
same. Both are essential. Through the impermanent form you become aware of the
permanent formless. While you still identify yourself in terms of body-
consciousness and feel that who you are is related to your body, it will be
impossible for you to give up the aspect of form. As your mind becomes steady,
rooted in faith, and you move beyond body-consciousness, you will be able to
experience the permanent formless aspect of the divinity.

Worshipping the Formless God in Your Heart

Traditionally, in the worship of the God with form, you may become engaged in
many types of ritual worship. You may offer flowers to the Lord, you may bathe
his statue with holy water, you may burn incense or use other forms of worship.
These will give you some satisfaction. Worshipping the Lord's form externally
with various sacred articles yields satisfaction. But, once you establish God
inside your heart, then you will worship him through the flowers of your heart.

After body consciousness and the delusion associated with it is destroyed, then
the divinity that you previously worshipped externally in form, with flowers and
various articles of external worship, will now become established in its
formless aspect in the depths of your heart, and you will want to worship it
with the sweet flowers of your feelings. This will bring true unchanging joy.
As long as you are worshipping the Lord with form, you will use physical flowers
such as roses, marigolds and jasmine. These are all impermanent and the body
which performs this worship is also impermanent. But if you want to worship the
formless God in your heart, then the flowers are different. Those flowers will
be permanent. Those flowers; are the noble qualities that you develop in your
heart and offer to the Lord. They are the flowers of nonviolence, of sense
restraint, of truth, of patience and forbearance, of perseverance, of love and
compassion, of charity and sacrifice. All these flowers are meant for inner
worship. To elevate yourself to the worship of the formless principle, you will
have to develop these flowers of the heart and use them in your worship. Then
you will experience the ineffable and unchanging joy of the spirit, and enter
the path that takes you home to your divine source.

Inner Peace and Contentment

In the 12th chapter of the Gita, Krishna taught the essential characteristics
that a true devotee should possess. These are the qualities which you have to
develop if you want to be loved by God. To begin with, if you want to be a
devotee of God you have to develop inner peace and a firm resolve. You should
always be contented. You should never give room to worry and allow any pain to
enter and disturb your heart.

The great devotional scripture called the Bhagavatam, gives the example of
Prahlada as the ideal devotee who possessed all these qualities. When the demons
were troubling Prahlada, who himself was the son of the lord of the demons,
Prahlada never allowed any pain to trouble his heart, no matter what trials and
difficulties he was passing through. He just kept on repeating the name of the
Lord, taking shelter in him as his protector and savior. He never shed one tear
in the midst of all these troubles. Therefore, Prahlada has been described as
the one who was fully established in union with the Lord. Even though he was
living in the phenomenal world and had a form, he did not allow any desires or
attachments to enter his heart.

Love All
For a true devotee there should be no evil traits such as hatred, jealousy,
anger or greed. These are the main obstacles to devotion which enter your being.
You must develop a sense of unity with everyone. If you develop hatred towards
anyone, you will be hating the very Lord whom you worship. It is because of your
inflated ego that you take action against another, in the course of which,
hatred, jealousy and anger arise. Therefore, the primary warning given in the
Gita says, "Show no hatred towards any being".

Without uprooting the weeds from the field and preparing it for cultivation, the
seeds will not yield a good crop. In the same way, without removing the weed of
ego from within your heart, all attempts at spiritual practice will be useless.
The most important thing to be learned from the path of devotion is that you
should not only love God but you should also love all beings, treating everyone
as God. Worshipping God while harming others cannot be called devotion. It only
reveals the depths of one's ignorance. Such people will never progress on the
spiritual path.

In the days to come you will learn the ways that you can develop your faith, and
through your good actions sanctify your life. It is by developing these
desirable qualities and practicing them in your daily life that you will call
forth the love and grace of the Lord.

Fourth Chapter
INNER INQUIRY - THE PATH OF WISDOM

Meditation is the steady, uninterrupted practice of contemplating God. This is

the principal spiritual activity taught in the Gita. Thinking of God now and
then cannot be called meditation. Meditation is thinking of God at all times,
under all circumstances. It is a continuous, unceasing process.

Embodiments of Love,
The constant remembrance of God is the method in which you continuously keep
turning the mind inwards to become united with the indwelling Lord. This can
correctly be called meditation. Any practice that you engage in periodically is
a concentration practice. Such a practice will usually focus on a chosen object
and be associated with a particular place and time. True meditation, on the
other hand, goes on continuously. It is completely free of all objects and
phenomena and completely transcends the element of place and time. Therefore, in
the Gita, the ongoing practice of meditation has been described as superior to
any type of periodic practice.

But, there is a practice even superior to meditation. The ultimate spiritual

practice is the development of wisdom. Wisdom emerges from inner inquiry. It is
the spiritual practice of looking deep into the essential nature of everything.
If you faithfully pursue this inquiry, you will gradually reach the supreme
state of peace and bliss. This is the unique goal of human life, a goal which
all mankind will one day achieve.

The Three Stages on the Wisdom Path

To reach the state of abiding inner peace, you begin by inquiring into the very
heart of everything. This is the process of inner inquiry, the first stage on
the wisdom path. Then you must make use of the deep insights you have gained by
applying the spiritual teachings to every detail of your daily life. This is the
second stage. If you continue with this practice unfailingly, then, in time, you
will reach the goal of God-realization and enjoy unending bliss. This is the
third and final stage on the wisdom path.

You can compare the first stage to the period of life when you are a student. As
a student and spiritual seeker you are most active in acquiring knowledge. While
you are in this stage you inquire into the principle which underlies everything
in the universe. You try to understand the deeper meaning of the great wisdom
sayings, such as that thou art. Here, that ;refers to the eternal divine
principle we call God, and thou refers to the immortal self, which is the one
true reality of everyone. In this first stage you try to understand this saying,
which states that the highest self and God are one and the same, and you look
for this oneness in the core of everything.

So, you start off by seeking the unity underlying everything in existence. Then,
having become aware of it, you live your life by applying this great truth to
all your daily activities. This second stage can be compared to the period of
life when you are employed and busy in your profession. If you have not pursued
your education and earned good qualifications, you will not be able to find an
appropriate position. Therefore, in the first stage you acquire a good education
and develop your knowledge so that in the next stage you can put that education
into practice and use it to do your life's work. The third stage can be likened
to the later period of life when you are retired and become a pensioner.

You receive a pension only after you have completed your working career. You
start your career and gain employment, in the first place, only after you have
successfully completed your education and acquired qualifications. These then
are the three stages in your path through life; namely, first is the stage when
you are a student, then there is the stage when you are a professional, and
lastly, there is the stage when you are a pensioner.

Similarly, on the path of wisdom, you start out as a seeker, then you become a
practitioner, and finally, you become a wise illumined one. In this final stage
you enjoy complete peace of mind and realize the unity of all of creation.
To permanently acquire peace of mind and the state of unending inner joy, you
first have to enter into the stage of inquiry and give up all attachments to the
world. These days, so-called spiritual seekers are first entering into the stage
of attachment, and later they try to enter the stage of inner inquiry. They call
each other brother and sister and aspire to practice unity, while at the same
time taking on new worldly attachments. At best, they can only be described as
part-time devotees. The Gita does not condone such part-time devotion. The Gita
teaches complete surrender by offering oneself and everything one has to God.

God is the Master of Time

In order to experience the principle of complete surrender you need to become
aware of time, and how it exercises total power over all that is changing, and
yet, how it is utterly powerless over the unchanging divinity, which is its
master. God is not subject to time. He not only is not under the spell of time,
but he keeps time under his control. The one who is bound by time is man; the
one who transcends time is God. The one who is mortal is man; the one who is
immortal is God. Only when you take shelter in divinity will you be able to
transcend this element of time. Time consumes man, whereas God consumes time
itself. It is time which is responsible for man's progress or man's decline, for
the promotion of his good or his fall into evil, for his earning merit or
storing demerit. Therefore, in the ancient scriptures we find this prayer:
O God, you are the very embodiment of time. Please, help me to sanctify my life
and spend all my time in remembrance of you, so that I may safely reach your
lotus feet.

The entire world is inextricably enmeshed in the grip of time. It is not

possible to fight against this element of time. Time does not wait for anyone.
You are bound by time, time is not bound by you. Time can be compared to a great
flowing river. All living beings are washed away by this flow of time. If you
are washed away by a flood you cannot take protection and shelter in someone or
something which is also being washed away. You, as well as the people and
objects in which you try to find security, are all being washed away by the
flood of time. If you seek to gain protection from something that is itself
being washed away, it is like a blind person following another blind person. In
the end, they both get lost. But if you were to be helped by someone who is
standing securely on the bank, you would surely be saved.

The one on the bank who is not caught up in the flood of time is God. If you
take refuge in God you will be able to free yourself from all the troubles and
problems associated with time. God has proclaimed the principle of surrender and
emphasized its importance by telling man, "O man, you are being washed away by
the flood of time. The only one who can shelter you is myself. Take refuge in
me, and I will save you." When you obey this divine command and offer yourself,
your wealth, your property, your entire family at the Lord's feet and surrender
yourself completely, then you will surely be saved.

The Veil of Illusion

At first it is difficult to experience this principle of surrender because there
is a very big veil between you and God. Due to this veil, you are easily subject
to doubt and confusion, and then you feel yourself unable to surrender
completely. This veil is illusion. What is the meaning of illusion? Illusion
refers to that which does not exist. When you are under the spell of illusion
you imagine that which does not really exist to exist. And you imagine that
which really exists to not exist. What never changes really exists and is true.
What changes does not really exist and is not true. The one thing which always
exists, which is true and unchanging is God, the one without a second. The
world, when thought to be devoid of God, will be seen as constantly changing.
Since it is changing, it cannot be true and, therefore, cannot really exist.
But, in this, you are not seeing the world correctly.

When you are under the spell of illusion, you see the world as separate from
God. You do not see the divinity as the principle underlying everything in the
world, and as a result, you become afraid and find it impossible to surrender
yourself completely. It is like seeing a rope and thinking that it is a snake.
But . B. there is no snake there at all. You are subjected to fear and tension
by imagining that there is a snake where there really is no snake, at all. What
is the reason for this fear? Imagining things which really do not exist, as
existing, is the cause of fear. This feeling is responsible for all your
troubles. If you were to see all this in total awareness, you would find that
there is only a rope; there is no snake. Then you would have no fear whatsoever.
You would not be afraid to reach out to it, to hold it and to play with it,
because you would realize that all there is, is only a rope.

You are subject to many sorrows because you forget the fact that the entire
world is the embodiment of God. It is not just the world as you think it is. You
see the world only from the phenomenal point of view; you are not looking at it
through the eyes of inquiry. If you were to look at the world correctly, you
would realize that it is a stream of continuous change. This ongoing,
uninterrupted flow of change is the basic characteristic of the phenomenal
world. But within and governing that flow of change, is the one divine principle
which is forever unchanging.

It can be likened to a river. The water in the river will flow continuously and
give rise to the apparent effect of a steady stream, flowing without end. But at
any given period of time, and at any particular place along the river, the
particles of water rushing by will all be different; some will be muddy, some
will contain rocks, some will be foamy, some will be pure water. Although the
flow is continuous, the exact makeup of the water is constantly changing. We see
that the river is a combination of both changing and unchanging elements.

In a similar way beings, which are the expressions of life, are born and die.
Although they come and they go, there is a continuity of life in the world. Life
which goes on continuously can be considered to be truth, whereas living beings
which are born and die and are constantly changing, represent untruth.
Therefore, the changing expressions of life are untrue, but life itself, which
is a steady stream whose essence is the divinity, is true.

The World as a River of Truth and Untruth

That is why the world has been likened to a river, where reality has become
associated with unreality, or change. SimilarlyYou can consider it a stream of
changing truth, a truth which is qualified and not fully true. The world is a
combination of pure truth, which remains the same and never changes, and
untruth, which deals with things that are constantly changing. The wisdom
teachings have described this state as truth-untruth, namely, a mixture or
combination wherein both truth and untruth coexist. Spiritual practice is the
process whereby you separate the truth from the untruth, and retain the truth.
You see the illusion that the world exists separately from yourself and God for
what it is, namely untruth. Once recognized as untruth you are no longer deluded
by it, and the truth, which is the unity of God, man and world, stands revealed.
Ignorance, nature, world, illusion, mind, maya are all synonymous. They are all
the illusory power of God. Thinking that things exist which do not really exist,
and coming under their spell, is illusion. A saint summarized this as, "God is
true but the world is false". You must understand this statement correctly. What
it means is that our mistaken perception and experience of the world is untrue.
The world itself, in essence, is true. God is the one, unchanging basis of this
world of change. When you examine this in some depth you discover that the world
is truly not world, but the divinity itself.

Hold on to God Alone

In the Gita, Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, you are subjecting yourself to this
element of time. You are getting yourself caught up in its flow, and you are
going far, far away from me. Surrender yourself to me and all your sorrows will
soon be removed." When you are associated with God, when you are near him,
illusion cannot harm you. Here is a small example for this.

In the expensive homes of the wealthy there will often be a watchdog guarding
the gate to keep people out. This dog is not like a street dog; it has been
brought up by its owners with great affection and has been carefully trained.
This dog does not go on barking whenever it sees people walking or moving about.
It starts barking only when someone comes near the gate and tries to get in.
When they see the dog and hear the barking, most visitors will quickly leave the
gate and go away. Others, however, who have taken a firm resolve to meet the
owner of the house, will continue to stand there and loudly call out to the
owner of the house. Eventually, the owner, hearing all the commotion at the
gate, will look out from his upstairs window to see who is standing at the gate.
Once the owner recognizes the person waiting there to be his friend, he will
come down, go to the gate, let his friend in, and take him upstairs into the
house.

When this apparent stranger, who had been waiting at the gate turns out to be a
friend of the master of the house and goes with him, the dog will no longer bark
at him or try to harm him. The dog now knows that this person is being allowed
in by the owner himself. Illusion can be compared to this dog. It guards the
gate of liberation and bliss. If a person comes who is not a friend of the
master of the house, if he has nothing to do there, but insists on coming in
through the gate, the dog will catch hold of him. Fearing the consequences of
being accosted by the dog, most people will run away. In a similar fashion, most
people, as soon as they experience some difficulties on the spiritual path, will
choose to turn away, instead of persisting on their quest, undaunted by
difficulties. And so, they do not reach their goal and thus continue to be
buffeted by the spell of illusion.

But a real devotee, who in this example is the person with a strong
determination to reach the owner of the house, does not mind the dog at all. He
remains at the gate and attracts the attention of the master, and stays there
until the master comes out. To such a persistent one waiting at the gate, even
the barking of the dog, even the pain caused by illusion is helpful, because the
pain draws the attention and compassion of the master inside. The master turns
his gaze on the devotee, recognizes him, and takes him into the house.
Therefore, only the one with courage and a strong resolute nature, who has
decided to remain there no matter how ferociously the dog is barking, will get
to see the master and be able to enter this palace of ultimate peace.
Conquer Your Senses
The five senses and the sense objects we perceive with them represent this dog
of illusion which will distract you and keep you from reaching God. It is for
this reason that Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, you are attached to so many sense
objects; therefore you are ruffled by events. You have not been able to control
your senses and you have not been able to develop concentration. Therefore, you
have not been able to establish the divinity in your heart. Continue to
cultivate your practice of constantly turning your mind back to God dwelling in
your heart. Then you will gain concentration of mind. Only when you have
concentration of mind will you be able to fully surrender to God. At all times
and in all places always think of God. Whatever work you are doing, think of
God. Remember God with love. Remember God with faith.

"Even when you are waging a war, think first of God, then fight. This is not an
ordinary war; this fight you are now becoming involved in is not like a quarrel
between you and some other individuals. What you are fighting most of all is
your own weakness, your bad habits, all your limitations and frailties. With
warm thoughts of love for the divinity dwelling in your heart, wage this inner
war and win. Remember you are not just fighting a war against others. You are
fighting your own inner sense organs. So, do not quit until you have achieved
victory, until you have conquered your senses and fully mastered them."

In an earlier age, Prahlada also spoke of this inner fight to his father, the
powerful demon king. He said, "Father, you have won many wars and have gained
lordship over numerous worlds, but you have not been able to win a victory over
your own senses. By winning all the worlds outside you have become a powerful
king, but only when you can control your own senses will you be king of the
whole universe. If you keep being defeated by your inner senses, how can you
ever win a lasting victory against your enemies outside? When you win over your
inner enemies, you can easily win over the external ones, also."

When is this possible? Only when you surrender yourself completely to the
divinity. You say, 'my objects', 'myself', 'my people'. As long as you have such
feelings it will not be possible for you to surrender. These are all attachments
associated with the physical realm. You will have to gain mastery over not only
the physical, but over the mental realm as well. Finally you will have to gain
entry into the spiritual realm. Once you have fully surrendered yourself and
entered the spiritual realm everything will be taken care of automatically, and
you will no longer be bothered by any burdens and cares.

Give Your Burdens to God

When you take a train journey, upon reaching the railway station you have to
transport your luggage via a porter, or by one means or another. If there is no
one to help you, you have to carry the luggage yourself. But once you enter the
train you can put the luggage down anywhere you like. Then you can relax and
there is no further bother with the luggage. The train will carry you and your
luggage. Nevertheless, there are some fools who will sit in the train and carry
their luggage on their heads. Those are the ones who have been blessed with
God's grace but still doubt and continue to follow their own independent will.
They have not surrendered fully.

Once you surrender yourself fully to the Lord and offer up everything that is to
be done, as well as when it is to be done and how it is to be done, at the
Lord's feet, he will take care of everything. To achieve this level of surrender
there can be no trace of ego left; there should be no sense of yourself
remaining. This has been shown in a particularly clear manner in the Ramayana by
Lakshmana, the brother of Rama.
Let us pick up the story when Rama, Sita and Lakshmana during their exile in the
forest, were moving through a mountainous area. As is the Lord's nature, he
always loves to carry on some playful sport; he is the perfect actor. He never
has any sorrow or pain whatsoever, but sometimes he will act as though he has
these feelings. Whenever God comes down in human form he acts this way in order
to conduct himself in a natural way as man. The human form is taken on by him so
that he can be easily accessible to people. On that particular day, Rama, the
incarnation of God, acted as though he was very tired. He was removing the sweat
from his brow and telling Lakshmana, "Lakshmana, I am so tired. I don't think I
will be able to go any further. Please put up a hut somewhere nearby, so that we
can take a little rest."

Lakshmana asked Rama, "Brother, where shall we have this cottage?" Rama said,
"You can decide for yourself which place will be most appropriate, and then put
it up." Lakshmana responded, "Rama! Rama! What have I done? What is my error?
What sins have I committed to hear these words? Please let me know why you have
spoken to me like this!" Now, Rama knew the mind of Lakshmana and so he knew why
Lakshmana was saying this, but in order to help Sita understand the level of
Lakshmana's surrender, Rama said, "Lakshmana, please tell me what is troubling
you. What have I said that has made you feel so much pain?"

Lakshmana replied, "I have given up everything. I have given up wife, mother,
father, kingdom, everything. I have come along with you feeling that you are the
father, that Sita is the mother, and that wherever you are is our beautiful
capital city of Ayodhya. I have come only to implement your will. I have given
up my own individual will, and now you ask me to construct a hut and choose the
place in which to build it. Your command is my only thought. I have no other
thoughts than that. Whatever is your will, I will do. My only duty is to obey
you. My only goal, truly my everything, is you. You alone must tell me where the
hut is to be put up." Sita realized the depth of Lakshmana's devotion and
surrender. She turned to Rama and asked him to relieve Lakshmana's distress by
designating the site for the hut himself.

Surrender Fully to God

The basic lesson of this story is that man should not have any desires separate
from the one desire to fully surrender to God. Everything belongs to God, and
only to God. Surrender means implicitly following the commands given to you by
the Lord, whose directions will be clearly heard when he is enshrined in your
heart. Surrender is the basis of the declaration, "Come and sit in my train and
I will look after you. Let go of your ego-sense and desire. Don't carry your
baggage on your head and suffer."

In this context, Krishna taught surrender as the highest and most important
stage of devotion. Once you have surrendered yourself fully to the Lord, you
will gain his grace. "Wherever you are, be it in a town, in a village, in a
forest or in the sky, I will be your refuge. Come and surrender to me!" That is
the command of the Lord, and that is also his promise. Once you are his, he will
shelter you and protect you from all harm.

But, surrender does not mean giving up your discriminating faculty. You must
discern what are desires and what is truly divine, and surrender all your
worldly desires, offering them to the divine. Make every effort to discover the
right way to surrender yourself, and thereby sanctify your life and reach the
goal.

Fifth Chapter
FIND GOD IN YOUR OWN HEART

The Lord stated in the Gita, "Only when you renounce all selfishness and
attachment, only when you treat joy and sorrow with an equal mind and practice
forbearance in all circumstances, will you become my devotee and very dear to
me."

Embodiments of Love,
To have an equal mind, to be free of attachments and concern for yourself and
your family, is difficult for ordinary spiritual seekers. Particularly for
householders, such equanimity of mind and detachment is almost impossible. They
are able to worship God through the various types of spiritual practices which
have been prescribed in the scriptures. But for them to destroy their ego and
remove all sense of I-ness and my-ness would be very difficult. Why is that so?
It is difficult to eliminate the ego as long as you differentiate your own will
from the command and will of the Lord. You have doubts and are unable to
surrender because you see others and the world as separate from God. It is only
when you recognize that God is dwelling in all people everywhere, in the form of
an ever-luminous light shining in the temple of their hearts, that you will be
able to eliminate your egoism and surrender fully to God. Once you recognize the
all-pervasive unity of the Lord you will have no difficulty following him. Know
that the self-effulgent flame of God's presence which resides in all people also
resides in you. The one who protects all people is an integral part of your own
form.

The Indwelling God

From time immemorial, the inquiry has been going on whether or not God exists.
Once you have convinced yourself that he exists, the next step is to find the
way to reach him. Just as was true in ancient times, this problem of how and
where to find God has become a perplexing question for mankind today. To solve
this problem, numerous sages made a determined effort to use all their skills
and their penance to find the solution. These sages revealed where they searched
and how they came to know about the existence of the effulgent Lord. They
declared to the world at large:

"O citizens, we have been able to perceive the transcendental principle which
exists beyond this visible and created world. It will not be found in the
external world or in outer space, but only within your own inner self. It is
there in your inner vision within your soul, in the sacred heart inside your
deepest self. It is there that the blissful Lord resides."

This was their great discovery, that God dwells within the body itself. i.God is
the imperishable one who lives within the perishable body. The body is inert; it
does not know itself. In the Gita, God has been called the knower of the body
and the one who gives consciousness to the body. To penetrate through the veils
of ignorance that hide your truth, you must make a determined effort to discover
the immortal Lord residing resplendently in your mortal body. Not only must you
find the Lord installed in your own body and the bodies of other creatures, but
you must also find him installed in every object, in every thing. He is the
indweller of all the five elements, space, air, fire, water and earth. He is the
very basis of the creation.

To find a diamond you must dig deep within the earth. You will not find it
hanging outside on a tree. In the same way, you will not find this most valuable
diamond which is the Lord, lying around somewhere outside, easily visible to
all. With the help of the teachings of great souls you will have to make the
effort to find God within. The body is not an ordinary thing. It is the temple
of God, it is a chariot which carries the Lord. In the world, which can be
thought of as a grand village, the Lord is being taken in procession everywhere
in this chariot called the body.

Within the Body is Pure Consciousness

Since the body is the temple of the Lord, it is not proper to be indifferent
towards it or to neglect it, or to use it in an inappropriate or unrighteous
manner. The body must be used only to perform activities which are sacred and
selfless. You must take good care of the body and sanctify it by using it to do
holy tasks. The body is inert no doubt, but within it lives the principle which
is pure consciousness. This body may be compared to a boat which will help you
cross the ocean of worldly existence. This body was not so easily obtained by
you. Because of innumerable merits and numerous births in other forms, you have
been able to obtain this human body. To use it improperly is to waste all the
merits you have earned in all those countless lives.

It is your extraordinary good fortune to have been able to get this birth as a
human being. Therefore, this sacred boat which can take you to your destination,
has to be used very carefully so that you can cross the ocean of worldly
existence safely. In this ocean there are terrible crocodiles and all kinds of
terrifying creatures which are very harmful to you. These menacing crocodiles
are the six inner enemies of man, in the form of lust, anger, greed, attachment,
pride and jealousy. They inhabit this unfathomable ocean of worldly existence at
every level.

The water of this ocean of world existence which supports all these horrendous
creatures, is made up of a mixture of opposites like joy and grief, attraction
and repulsion. When you are in this ocean of life it is very difficult to say
when you will obtain happiness and when you will suffer pain. When you are beset
with so many crocodiles, the very best means for completing this journey safely
is to see the unity in everything. You have to firmly believe that the divine
principle, the godhead in the form of the self-effulgent flame, resides in
everybody and in every thing. Once you recognize the presence of God dwelling in
everyone, once the unity is recognized in all this apparent diversity, then you
will no longer be able to hate anyone. That is why in the Gita the injunction,
show no hatred towards any being is given first place.

The various acts of ritual worship, such as singing devotional songs and
repeating the holy name, which at one time may have seemed so important to you,
will seem very small in comparison, once you recognize this principle of God
dwelling in every heart. It is only when you are ignorant of this great truth,
that you consider the various devotional practices as paramount in your
spiritual life. However, until you have mastered the art of swimming there is a
need to use various flotation-aids for support. Once you have learned to swim,
these aids will no longer be necessary. In the same way, all the various ritual
practices are necessary until you truly understand the meaning of the Gita. Once
you have comprehended the sweet essence of the Gita, all these rituals will
appear quite trivial.

See God in Everything

In the chapter on devotion in the Gita, the noble characteristics that endear a
devotee to God are described. It is emphasized there that once the six inner
enemies of man are brought under control, these characteristics will naturally
blossom forth in the individual. Can this ever be done easily? Yes. These six
enemies can be readily conquered once you recognize the truth that the one God
resides in all of the five elements everywhere, and that it is he who activates
all beings. Before you recognize this and experience it, you will not realize
true satisfaction in anything you undertake.

If you keep some salt in your mouth then even if you try to swallow some sweet
juice, you will still get the taste of salt. First you have to get rid of the
salt and wash your mouth well, then you will be able to taste the sweetness.
When the salt is gone you can enjoy the full unpolluted sweetness of the juice
you have taken in. Similarly, it is only when you are able to conquer the ego by
removing all the bad traits which have become an integral part of you, that you
will be able to enjoy the sweetness of compassion, the sweetness of sacrifice,
the sweetness of charity, the sweetness of sympathy and the sweetness of divine
love.

To begin with, try to understand what true devotion really means. Devotion means
an all-absorbing love for God. When you develop devotion and turn all your love
towards God, everything that is necessary will be added unto you. You will
develop the capacity to sacrifice yourself. You will expand in love. Love is the
very life breath of a human being. Without love you cannot live. Love is a very
sacred quality. As was referred to earlier, a great sage in ancient times told
his wife, "All the love that you have is really for the sake of your higher
self. Love is not for the sake of others but only for the higher self." But all
too frequently, through delusion, this sacred love for the atma, the one self,
is diverted towards the body. Everywhere in the world we find this disease of
identification with the body.

The Diseases of Mankind

Many of the enjoyments you experience in life are really just the relief you
feel when you temporarily soothe the pains of a disease you are suffering. For
example, you think that taking food is an enjoyment, but it is really only a
medicine. Food is the medicine for the disease of hunger. When you give the
medicine the disease is temporarily forgotten. You cook many varieties of
delicious food and consider the taste of these prepared dishes to be most
enjoyable, but that is not the real purpose for which you take food. As you
know, medicines are sometimes given in the form of a mixture which contains some
sweetener to make it more palatable. In the same way, to treat the disease of
hunger there will be a meal containing a mixture of ingredients, some of which
are particularly flavorful and pleasant to the taste. But in the final analysis,
the meal can only be thought of as a form of medicine to treat the disease of
hunger that afflicts you. After you have eaten, the symptoms of the disease
disappear. Similarly, when you take some cool water, the symptoms of the disease
of thirst disappear.

We have previously discussed the six inner enemies of man: lust, anger, greed,
attachment, pride and jealousy. They can also be described as desire, hatred,
possessiveness, infatuation, arrogance, and envy. These are the most deep-seated
diseases of mankind. It is only when you engage in practices which serve as
medicines to counteract these diseases, that they will diminish and disappear.
During your whole life you have been deluded into thinking that you are enjoying
different types of pleasures, but in fact you are afflicted with these diseases.
Until you recognize that the resident of the body is God, you will continue to
be burdened by these diseases and the sufferings they bring.

Seek the Lord inside Your Own Body

All spiritual practices can only be done with the help of the body. All the
education that you have acquired has been obtained by means of the body. The
magnificence and extraordinary characteristics of God have been learned through
the facility of the body. Taking the body as the basis, you have to make an all-
out effort to see the Lord inside it. Do not keep thinking that God resides
somewhere, in another world. He actually is present in the body itself. Sin does
not exist in some distant world far away; it depends upon the actions that you
perform with your body. Both your merit and demerit are the result of the
actions you performed with the help of your body. You have to make an incessant
search, a serious attempt, to find God inside your own body.

Only when you knock at the door will the master inside open it. Even your own
mother will serve you food only when you ask her for it. Therefore, you will
have to ask and go on asking, knock on the door and go on knocking, search and
go on searching, seek and go on seeking. If you search for God within you, with
all earnestness, you will surely be able to find him. If you go to a room where
a great number of articles are stored, it is only if you search carefully that
you will be able to find the particular article for which you are looking.
Without searching you will never find the article you want. Therefore, it is
said, 'Seek, seek, and it shall be found; knock, knock, and the door shall be
opened.'

Perhaps you feel that you have already been knocking at the door for a long time
and it has not opened for you. But find out if you have been knocking at the
right door. Are you knocking at the door of liberation, or are you knocking at
the door of attachment? Are you knocking at the door where God is residing or
are you knocking at the door where the devil is dwelling? Whom are you
approaching? In whom are you taking shelter? Are you asking the most merciful
one, the one who comes in human form and holds out his own life as an example?
Are you asking the mother of the universe? Are you asking for food from her, or
are you asking for food from the devil?

You may even be looking at the Lord, but you are not asking for the divinity
itself. No doubt, you are praying to God, but you are asking for petty material
things and worldly things. You are at the wish-fulfilling tree and you are
asking for trivial coffee powder. You have to pray for the wish-fulfilling tree
to grant you the transcendental principle which will fill you forever with
eternal bliss.

Your devotion must go on increasing and progressing, keeping in mind the firm
belief that God is residing inside your own body. If you want to seek and search
for the Lord who is residing inside you, you have to turn your vision inwards.
How should you aspire for the Lord? You have to cry the way a calf cries for its
mother who has left it and gone off with the herd. You have to cry like a chaste
woman who has lost her husband and wails in pain at the separation. You have to
cry in the way that a childless couple implores and pleads with God for a child.
This is how you should pray to the Lord, full of devotion, longing to realize
his presence within you.

Harmonize All Your Thoughts, Words and Deeds

But today, most of your prayers are filled with pompous words, devoid of
feeling. Inside the mind there is one thing, on your lips there is something
else. It is only when you synchronize the thoughts in your mind with the words
in your mouth, that your words can turn into prayer and become effective. Then
you must put your prayers into practice. When your activities in daily life are
coordinated with your thoughts and words then your prayers can become worship;
and when you achieve full unity in thought, word and action then you become a
great soul.

You have to examine yourself to see whether you are following this path of
harmony in thought, word and deed. When you examine yourself honestly you may
find that most of the time these three, thought, word and deed, will be going
off in three different directions, without any unity between them. When thoughts
are different, words are different and actions are different, you have the
characteristics of a demon, not of a saint. Such disharmony will not benefit you
nor endear you to the Lord.

Forbearance, the Primary Spiritual Quality

Whatever thoughts you have, they will bring you the corresponding results.
Whatever you are feeling will be reflected in your way of talking and acting. In
the very first place, you must endeavor to purify your feelings. You have to
make your love pure. To do so you have to develop forbearance, which is a serene
patience and self-restraint under all circumstances, giving good to all, even to
those who may want to harm you. There is nothing greater than having this
quality of forbearance. Forbearance is equivalent to truth itself, forbearance
is the heart of righteousness, forbearance is the very essence of the ancient
wisdom, forbearance is nonviolence in practice, forbearance is contentment, it
is compassion. Truly, forbearance is everything in all the worlds. Only when you
have developed patience and forbearance will you be able to obtain the Lord.

Now, over minor insignificant things you lose your temper and become ridden with
tension. Anger and temper are dangerous. They can ruin your life. If you suffer
from anger you will not be able to achieve anything worthwhile. You will be
looked upon with disgust and derision. You will lose your wealth. All the honors
you have enjoyed will turn to ashes. Your anger will even separate you from
those who are closest to you. Because of anger people lose everything, and their
life becomes a waste. Therefore, in the Gita, Krishna taught the principle of
love and the need to cultivate love to counter hatred, jealousy, anger and all
the other bad traits that cause so much harm to you.

Love knows no hatred.

Love is free from all selfishness.
Love is far removed from anger.
Love never takes; it knows only giving.
Love is God.

You Can Experience God Through Love Alone

If you want God, you will have to develop this sacred quality of love. Only
through love will you be able to experience him, who is love itself.
If you want to see the moon there is no need to use a candle or a torch light.
The light of the moon is enough to see the moon. If you want to see God you need
only to immerse yourself in love. Fill yourself with love and you will surely
succeed in acquiring God. But as long as this love has not yet become clearly
established, there is a need for spiritual practices such as devotional singing,
repetition of the name of God, and other forms of worship. Once pure love has
developed these spiritual practices are no longer necessary.

Yet, even when the moon shines brightly, you will not be able to see it if your
eyes are closed. In the same way, if your eyes are still closed to the loving
presence of God within you, then good actions, including the various spiritual
exercises, will help open your eyes and clarify your vision, so that you can see
and enjoy the Lord. That is the import of Krishna's teaching in the Gita.
Only when you listen to such great words, and only when you understand them
clearly, and only when you practice them, will you be able to reach your divine
goal. Set aside at least one hour per day to study these teachings and
incorporate them in all your daily activities. In so doing you will be using
your time wisely and you will be sanctifying your life.
Sixth Chapter

THE THREE STAGES ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH

Fill your heart with one-pointed devotion and God will reveal himself within
you. Then you will see him as he truly is. In time, you will merge with him and
become one with him.

Embodiments of Love,
There are three principal stages that you must follow on the spiritual path in
order to reach your spiritual goal. They have been described in a number of
different ways in the Gita. At the end of the 11th chapter, wherein Lord Krishna
gives Arjuna the vision of his cosmic form, you will find the three stages
presented as follows:

First, you must know that God is here.

Then you must have a direct vision of him.
Finally, you must merge with him.
These three steps will lead you to liberation.

Know That God Is Here Then Experience God Directly

In the first step, you learn through the words of the scriptures or a teacher,
that God really exists. But merely knowing this truth does not give you
unlimited joy. You discover that God is here, but you also realize that you and
God are separate. This feeling of separation can serve as the basis for
subsequent steps on the path, but in itself it does not provide much lasting
satisfaction.

Gradually, the anguish of separation from God moves you on to the next step. The
desire develops in you to gain the direct personal experience and vision of God.
You feel, "I want to see you, dear Lord. How can I experience you directly?"
But, you find that it does not happen so easily just by wishing for it. You must
deeply pine and yearn for this vision; you must constantly aspire to see him.
Whatever form or aspect of God you have come to love in your devotion, you must
now yearn for it with all your heart and wish to see it directly. If your
yearning is sincere, then after some time he will make himself known to you in a
most personal way, and give you this sought-for vision of himself. Here is a
small story to illustrate this.

The Cowherd Boy

There was a poor cowherd boy, who had a great deal of faith and an intense
yearning to see God. One day, in the village where this boy lived, a preacher
came to deliver some spiritual discourses. The preacher would gather together an
audience and sing the glories and exploits of the Lord. It was not possible for
this cowherd boy to give up his work and come to all the meetings, because all
day long he had to attend to his cows. But in the evenings he would bring the
animals into a sheltered place and then go to hear the preacher give his talk.
The cowherd boy would listen with great earnestness and care to all that was
being said.

The preacher was a follower of Lord Vishnu, and so he related the characteristic
features of God in the form of Vishnu, or Narayana, as he is also called. In the
course of the discourse the preacher repeatedly described the traditional image
of the Lord as one who was dark-complexioned, who wore a white mark on his
forehead and rode on a white eagle. The preacher also explained that Lord Vishnu
was always prepared to go to the rescue of those who sought shelter in him, and
that he would accept as an offering anything that was given to him with full
faith and love.

As the preacher repeatedly described these characteristics of the Lord, they

made an indelible impression on the heart of that boy. The preacher also said
that God is a great lover of music, and that he could be won by directing one's
prayers to him in song, sung most reverently from the heart.

Well, this cowherd boy used to carry some food with him for his noontime lunch.
Daily he would offer this food to God with all sincerity and devotion, praying
to the Lord to partake of it. He began his prayers by singing this song, "O
loving Lord, You ride on a white eagle, so I have been told. Come. Please come
to me and accept this food." The boy went on praying like this to the Lord for
one whole week continuously. He never touched his food because it was not shared
by the Lord. By the end of the week he became extremely weak.

Anguished Yearning for the Lord's Presence

Besides his weakened physical condition, he was also suffering from extreme
anguish because he felt that he wasn't singing properly and therefore the Lord
did not respond. He was sure that it was because of his own shortcomings in his
songs that the Lord did not come to partake of his food. And so with great
determination and devotion he continued to practice his singing, thinking that
in the end he would surely win the grace of the Lord.

In his weakened condition he reached the forest. He was feeling extremely

exhausted but he was determined not to eat unless his offering was accepted by
the Lord. Now his prayerful song poured out of him in a most melodious and
sacred way. The boy just kept on singing and singing all the time, imploring the
Lord to come down and accept the food and drink that he was offering with so
much yearning. When there was perfect harmony in the feeling, in the tune and in
the content of the song, the Lord descended. How did he appear before that
cowherd boy? He came as a boy of the same age, wearing the simple ochre cloth of
a saddhu, a mendicant holy man.

The young cowherd asked the boy he saw standing before him, "Please, dear
friend, may I know who you are? Are you a traveler passing through this forest?"
The holy boy answered, "I am the Lord. I am Narayana. You prayed to see me and
so I have come to give you a vision of myself." Remembering that the Lord liked
the sweet sound of music, the cowherd boy continued his questioning in the form
of a most melodious song, "But you don't conform to the description given of the
Lord, who is dark-complexioned, who wears a white mark on his forehead and who
rides a white eagle. The preacher said that is how we can know the Lord. But it
doesn't seem to be true. O, dear one, if you are really the blessed Lord, please
resolve my doubt and let me see you in your true form."

The Vision of the Lord

The boy had heard a description of the Lord; now he wanted to see and experience
him directly, exactly as he had heard him described and come to believe in him.
But God doesn't have any specific name or form; he has a thousand eyes, a
thousand ears, a thousand hands and a thousand feet. Yet in order to please and
satisfy his devotees who are aspiring to see him, he takes on the particular
form which has been earnestly prayed for. To satisfy this cowherd boy the Lord
revealed himself by taking on the lustrous form of Vishnu, and accepted the food
and drink so lovingly offered by the boy. This is the second stage when one
yearns for the vision of the Lord. Even when that vision comes, it will still
not be the true form of God but the one chosen through the prayers of the
devotee. God loves sincere, heartfelt feelings, and therefore, in keeping with
the feeling of his devotee, he will give his vision in the form which pleases
the devotee most.

After the Lord left the boy thought to himself, "First I heard a description of
him, and then I prayed for a vision of him. Now he has come down and I have seen
him directly. But, how can I reach him and be ever with him?" By merely knowing
that God exists, a devotee will not be satisfied. Nor does he get full
satisfaction by just having a vision of the Lord. Having had the vision, he
yearns to be fully merged with him. It is only then that the devotee will be in
unending bliss. In the case of this boy, the Lord had given a vision of himself,
and then disappeared. But from that moment on the boy kept the picture of the
Lord as he had just seen him, in the form of Vishnu, continuously imprinted in
his heart. With that lovely form in his mind's eye, he now began inquiring and
thinking only of how he could reach him and merge with him. This is the third
stage.

Beyond Dualism
In the same way, by either listening to learned people or by reading and
studying the scriptures you can get some idea of what God is like. But
ultimately you will not be satisfied and happy with just this. It is still only
a stage of dualism, for in this stage you and God remain separate. Therefore,
you will make an attempt to go beyond the stage of dualism to the next step,
which is qualified non-dualism. This refers to the deep aspiration to see and
experience God directly. How can you get a vision of him? By picturing in your
own heart the form of God you heard described, and then continuously thinking
and contemplating on that form. Whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you
see and whatever you listen to, you have to become one with that sacred form.
The specific form of God you have pictured becomes a thought form in your mind.

The thought form should then become saturated with the feeling of devotion so
that it becomes a feeling form in your heart. Gradually, gradually, these
feelings will deepen and strengthen until one day you will have a real vision of
the Lord. So, first the Lord is heard of and thought of, then he is sought
through intense feelings of devotion and yearning, and finally he reveals
himself in form and can be directly experienced. In other words, the thought
form turns into a feeling form, which then becomes transformed into real
experience. That describes the second stage on the path. Not only do you get the
personal vision of the Lord, whom you have aspired to see, but you also get the
chance to converse with him face-to-face.

After seeing the Lord thus and talking to him directly, you gain a little more
satisfaction. But if you are a true devotee, even this golden opportunity will
not give you the full joy you long for. Now you want to reach God and merge with
him. You think, "I have heard... I have seen... now I must reach him and be one
with him." In the first stage, when through reading and hearing you come to know
that God exists, you feel that God is separate and you are separate. This is the
state of dualism. But in the second stage you see the Lord and get the feeling
that you are part of him. This is the state of qualified non-dualism. Finally
you move on to the feeling, 'The Lord and I are one and the same'. This is the;
stage of complete non-dualism. Here you think, 'Either I must get merged with
him or he must become one with me.' Then there is complete unity.

Becoming One With the Lord

So long as there remains a separate river distant from the ocean, which is its
source and its goal, then the river will retain a separate name and have an
individual identity. But once the river merges into the ocean it gets the taste
of the ocean, it gets the form of the ocean, and it takes on the name of the
ocean. If you want to become one with the Lord, you have to acquire the feelings
of the Lord, you have to acquire the form of the Lord and you have to acquire
all the sacred characteristics of the Lord. Only then will you be one with him.

You have to feel that all the attributes of the Lord must manifest themselves in
you. Affirm to yourself: "The broadmindedness of the Lord is within me. All the
selfless feelings of the Lord are within me. The unbounded love of the Lord is
within me." When you faithfully live this conviction then you eventually attain
the realization that you and he are one. Then there is perfect unity.

You must continuously strive for this feeling of unity. You must make every
effort to gain it. Then you will reach that fulfillment one day. This is the
ultimate goal of human life. It is only when you reach that place, the place
from which you have originally come, that true fulfillment will be yours.

The Three Stages in Secular Life

Even in your secular life you can recognize these progressive stages necessary
for reaching a goal. Consider the following example. Suppose some mangoes have
arrived in the market place and that mangoes are fruits which you love
immensely. There may be one particular type of mango which you especially favor
and relish. Now a friend comes to you and informs you that they are selling
these particular mangoes that you enjoy so much. The moment you hear this you
get a certain amount of satisfaction; you are happy just thinking about these
mangoes, even though you have not acquired them and tasted them.

The moment you get the news you rush to the bazaar to find out where those
mangoes are and whether there are any still available. Yes, they are there. Now
you get a good look at them. This gives you still more satisfaction. But even
then you are not yet fully happy. So you put some choice mangoes in your bag and
pay for them. Then, until you reach home you go on thinking about those fruits,
reflecting on your good fortune to find such nice ones, and looking forward to
eating them. Why do you spend so much time thinking about them? Because you have
an extraordinary liking for these fruits, and your actions in going after them
and getting them are proof of this strong love you have for them.

You can get a lot of joy when a feeling that you have been experiencing strongly
inside you, takes on a form which you can see externally. In truth, whatever you
see outside of you is always only a reflection of your inner thoughts. When you
have a strong enough desire, you will manifest externally what you wish for so
strongly internally. Your desire for the mangoes brought you to the market. Now
you have bought them and brought them home. You wash them nicely and peel them.
Then you start eating them with great relish and anticipation. As you consume
them, you blissfully enjoy the nectarine juice of these lovely fruits. Soon, the
juice is no longer something outside of you, but it will have become part of
you. With that you get immense joy; you feel complete bliss.

Knowing, Seeing and Becoming One With the Divinity

What is the reason for such great joy? Let us recapitulate the process. First
you came to know that the particular fruit you love had become available in the
bazaar. That is knowing. After hearing about it, you didn't get discouraged but
developed the intense desire to get them and enjoy them. You went to the bazaar
with great intensity of desire, yearning to see the fruits there. Finally, you
found them and got a good look at those fruits. That is the stage of seeing.
After seeing the fruit, you acquired them and ate them. This is the stage of
entering into and becoming one with the object of your desire.
Do you have such intense feelings for God? That is the one desire you really
should develop. After listening to a number of discourses, after reading many
scriptures, after knowing that God exists and after having spent much time in
worshipping him, you will have to develop a strong yearning to see him;
otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain. You have to fervently strive,
making an all-out effort to get a direct vision of the Lord.

A student, after having entered a particular grade and spent the year studying
the subjects at that level, will not get any satisfaction in remaining in that
grade for the next year. He will aspire to progress to a higher grade. If a
student is in the same class for two years he develops a sense of despair and
despondency. Not only does he get discouraged but he is also put through a lot
of ridicule by his fellow-students. In the same way, you will be poorer in the
eyes of other devotees if you continuously remain in the first stages of
dualistic worship, without moving on in your spiritual development. Other
devotees will say, "Look at this person. He has been attending so many
discourses over a long period of time and he's read all the great scriptures,
but what is the use of all that? There doesn't seem to be any progress in him."
This unfortunate process of remaining stuck in the first stage, is the
characteristic feature of the slothful quality of inertia and laziness. You have
to remove this quality and go on from the dualistic state to the next state of
internalizing the Lord. In this state, through the continuous contemplation of
the Divinity inside, you try to gain a direct vision of God in the particular
form you choose. With intense desire you will get that coveted chance to see the
Lord, converse with him and serve him.

Reaching the Abiding Peace of the Immortal Self

But even then you should not be satisfied. You should strive to reach the final
and highest state. There should be no rest, no peace of mind or contentment
until you reach the state of complete mergence with God and the realization of
his oneness. These days you are only aspiring to obtain rest for your body and
trying to get a little peace of mind. But this is not good. You have to reach
the abiding peace of the atma. This is your true self, the immortal self, the
one universal self. When you become reunited with it, you become peace itself.
Your individual self has to merge with the universal self. Then the long journey
is complete and permanent bliss is realized.

A river is born from the ocean and ends in the ocean. But how did the river
originate? Initially some of the water of the ocean turned into clouds. Once the
ocean water becomes a cloud there is separation and duality. Clouds are
separate; ocean is separate. The water of the ocean is saltish. After it turns
into a cloud it becomes sweet. But now the water which has become a cloud comes
in the form of rain. You can say it is a rain of love, because this rain water
becomes a river and with great enthusiasm rushes to rejoin the ocean. This may
be compared to the state wherein a great anguish and aspiration develops to get
nearer and nearer to the final goal.

When you are in that state you yearn with all your heart to reach the native
land from which you have become separated. In the case of the water in the form
of a river, it is impelled to merge back into the ocean from whence it came.
Only then will it have reached its goal. Such is the pure non-dualistic state of
total mergence with the source.

You are born as a human being and you have lived part of your life as an
ordinary human being. But you have chosen to take up the path of spiritual life.
You find yourself seeking out the company of spiritually-minded people. You find
yourself listening to the great scriptural stories describing the sacred
characteristics of the Lord. But now, you find that this is not enough. You
yearn to have a direct vision of the Lord. Even then, you are not satisfied with
just that. Merely having had the opportunity to see and talk with the Lord you
still do not find that your happiness lasts. But when you finally get fully
merged and united with him, then you gain the complete fulfillment you have been
seeking. Then you are one with the unending peace and bliss that is the Lord.
This was the teaching that Krishna imparted to Arjuna on the battlefield.

The Sacred Names of Arjuna

In the Gita, Krishna used a number of names to address Arjuna. Even Even in
worldly life, a number of titles and names may be conferred on people. In the
Gita, it was the embodiment of divinity, Lord Krishna, who conferred the
different names on Arjuna. Krishna told Arjuna, "O Arjuna. You are not a child
of mortality. You are the divinity itself. You are the son of immortality." In
his life Arjuna found himself in a number of trying circumstances in which he
acquitted himself heroically. As a result, he was given various titles. To
obtain his bow, which was a sacred weapon, he performed severe penance and faced
a number of difficult problems. But throughout he persisted with a great deal of
faith, courage and conviction.

His determination in the face of all obstacles was ultimately rewarded by

gaining the grace of Lord Shiva and winning the bow directly from him. In the
process of getting this celestial weapon even the elements of nature went
against him, but nothing could deter him from his firm resoluteness and purpose.
Because he was able to win that bow, the Lord conferred on him the title, the
victor of the bow.

From a worldly point of view, Arjuna could also be thought of as the one who was
victorious in gaining wealth. There is a story for this. The oldest of the
Pandava brothers, Dharmaraja, who was the king, decided to undertake a great
ceremonial sacrifice, performed only by reigning kings. At that time the
Pandavas were opposed by the wicked Kauravas. The treasury of the Pandavas was
completely empty. They had no money available at all. In the face of such
obstacles it would have been nearly impossible to proceed with such a grand
ceremony. Still, Dharmaraja insisted on going ahead with the ceremonial
sacrifice. He said to Arjuna, "Brother, this occasion will require a very heavy
expenditure of funds. We will need a great deal of wealth. How might we raise
this money?" Arjuna replied, "Dharmaraja, why worry about money when we have
with us the wish-fulfilling tree in the form of Krishna? Why should we be
afraid? Once Krishna blesses us we will be able to get any amount of money."

Arjuna went around to the different kings ruling over the surrounding areas to
inform them of Dharmaraja's wish to hold the great sacrifice. As soon as these
kings heard that Dharmaraja was planning to perform the ceremony, they offered
to support Dharmaraja with their own treasuries, and so Arjuna brought back
wealth in such huge quantities that it took dozens of elephants to carry it.
There were great heaps of gold, silver and jewels. Krishna who had prompted all
this, came and acted as if he didn't know anything. He asked Dharmaraja,
"Wherever did you get so much wealth? Where did it all come from?" Dharmaraja,
out of ignorance and fraternal pride, replied, "It is because of my brother
Arjuna that I got all this."

From that day on, Krishna addressed Arjuna as the conqueror of wealth, in this
way concealing his own role and announcing to the world that it was Arjuna who
was able to gather so much wealth. There were many other names given to Arjuna,
such as son of the earth. These names were not intended for Arjuna alone. As you
hear these various names you can start applying them to yourself; each contains
a deeper meaning and shows how the Lord showers his grace on his devotees. Make
them part of you; fully live them by striving to understand their deeper meaning
and by putting them into practice in your daily life.

Seventh Chapter

RESTRAINING THE TONGUE IN BOTH FOOD AND SPEECH

One of the most important disciplines necessary for coming into union with God
is control of the tongue. This must be exercised both in the area of food and in
the area of speech. Without control of the tongue it is impossible to follow the
path of devotion and become one with God.

Embodiments of Love,
Together with most animals and birds, human beings have five sense organs. These
sense organs must be used extremely carefully, always being aware of their
capabilities and limitations. You must exercise the same control over them as
you do in controlling some of the powerful energies and tools that are used in
daily life. For example, fire when used with care and intelligence can serve you
in many useful ways. But when it is out of control it can be very harmful. Or
take a knife or electricity; if you know the proper way to use them, they will
be beneficial. Otherwise they can be quite dangerous. It all depends on the care
you take and how well you use your intelligence. The spiritual teachings have
laid great emphasis on knowing the proper use of the sense organs and applying
that understanding to your day-to-day life.

The Dual Power of the Tongue

Each sense organ given to human beings has one particular use, but the tongue is
endowed with dual power. It has both the power of speech and the power of taste.
In the Gita, the Lord cautions you to be very careful in using your tongue. He
praises the devotee who has attained complete control over the tongue, for such
a one will soon develop a pure and steady heart and feel the constant presence
of the Lord. To gain such control, devotees have been practicing a number of
special disciplines, such as observing silence, controlling their diet, or
maintaining a complete fast.

Fasting promotes health for the physical body. In the mental realm it gives joy
and bliss. Unlimited and unregulated food is very harmful for devotees.
Indulging indiscriminately in unwholesome foods is likely to lead the devotee
into the torpidity of inertia. To think that you can go on wantonly indulging
yourself in food, while at the same time trying to please God and enjoy the
nearness of God, is extremely foolish. These two, indulging in food and gaining
the nearness of God, are not compatible. Therefore, right from the beginning you
must make a determined effort to keep the tongue under control. Once you gain
mastery over the tongue, the other sense organs will automatically come under
control.

Control of the Tongue

Today's devotees have imposed on themselves all sorts of rules and regulations
in order to live a disciplined spiritual life. Unfortunately, these have not
been effective in gaining control over the tongue. Truly speaking, it is not
necessary to make such strenuous efforts to control the various sense organs. If
the tongue is properly controlled all the other sense organs will come in line
by themselves. Because people have not been able to gain control over the
tongue, they are afflicted with numerous doubts, emotional turmoil,
contradictions and confusion. Control of the tongue refers not only to food but
also to speech. You must recognize that there is nothing more powerful than the
power of words. For this reason, you must keep your talk strictly under control.
In life, you can observe that even for little things a number of sacrifices have
to be made. You cannot get anything without paying for it. You are prepared to
sacrifice even your own life to obtain some small, petty, useless things. But,
you are not seeking that which is exceedingly important, that which includes all
other things and is the very basis of everything worthwhile. That greatest of
all treasures is the immortal self. Only when you give up one thing can you get
another in its place. Should you not then give up everything else for the sake
of gaining this most important and most valuable of all possessions? Should you
not sacrifice everything for the sake of reaching your highest self?

In the market place, if you want some vegetables you will have to give some
money in exchange. Without offering to pay, and thereby sacrificing some of your
money, you will not be able to get those vegetables. By giving up one thing you
can then acquire another. In the same way, if you want to acquire virtues, you
will have to give up your bad qualities. Only by sacrificing your likes and
dislikes can you obtain equal-mindedness. Only by sacrificing your bad qualities
can you attain the noble qualities. Only by giving up your bad thoughts, bad
habits and bad behavior can you possibly achieve good thoughts, good habits and
good behavior.

Many sages have described how the tongue always longs to enjoy good things, and
how everything will be easy once you can gain control over it. The principal way
of exercising this control is by observing silence. Silence does not merely
refer to restraint of the tongue. Not only should you exercise silence in speech
but you should also be silent in thoughts. Your mind should remain free of all
thoughts. That is true silence.

Develop a Discriminating Mind

If you want to gain control over the food that you take in, you should not go on
feeding the tongue whatever it desires. You have to develop discrimination. In
every activity of life you have to apply your discriminating faculties to
determine if what you are doing will benefit you spiritually. In the area of
food, you have to explore and find out whether the food you take in is pure, or
if it inflames the senses and passions, or if it is of a dull, unhealthy quality
that produces a sleepy slothful reaction.

According to the Gita, maintaining control over the tongue by taking in pure
food in limited quantities is absolutely essential for the devotee. Use your
powers of discrimination with every item of food and ask the question, "Is this
food pure, or will it disturb or lower my consciousness?" If you were to examine
every item of food you use in this way, and take food in judiciously, you would
always remain equal-minded. You would not be affected by censure or praise.

But, if you were to indulge in food without discrimination, without trying to

find out whether it was desirable or not, paying attention only to satisfying
your hunger and catering to your taste buds, you would not be able to control
your attachments and feelings. You would sink down into weakness. If someone
were to make adverse comments about you, you would soon conclude that the whole
world was against you and you would feel depressed. The moment you were
criticized or blamed by anyone your happiness would go, you would become grief
stricken and regard all of life as meaningless.

On the other hand, if anyone were to praise you and appreciate you, you would
start bloating up with ego and pride. It would be practically impossible to hold
you down. What is the reason for such instability? The single most important
reason for these weaknesses is the type of food you take in. All these adverse
feelings come about because of your lack of control and discrimination in the
area of food. The Gita has emphasized the need for exercising extreme care in
selecting the food you eat. You must constantly keep in mind the importance of
pure food for helping you to maintain equanimity in all situations, so that you
become neither elated when praise is showered, nor depressed when criticism is
heaped upon you.

Purity of the Food, the Cooking Vessels and the Cook

The Gita has also declared that there should be purity of the vessels and
utensils used in cooking, and purity of the cooking process itself. The vessels
used must be absolutely clean. Purity refers not only to physical cleanliness
but also to the way in which the implements and the articles of food have been
acquired. You have to see whether these things have been acquired by proper
means and honest work or whether they have come through dishonest means.

Articles which are acquired by improper means and used for cooking food, will
not only generate bad thoughts but will lead you down the wrong path.
The next step is to inquire into the purity of the cooking process itself by
ascertaining the thoughts and feelings of the person who is cooking the food.
There are three things that have been mentioned that must be carefully looked
into and controlled. Normally, you pay attention only to the purity of the
vessels and not the other two, namely, the purity of the person cooking and the
purity of the food itself. You do not know the feelings in the mind of the cook
and you do not know if the shopkeeper has acquired the articles you buy in the
market by proper or improper means.

Therefore, just before taking your food, you should pray and offer the entire
meal to God in order to cleanse and purify it. This prayer which is offered
before food is not for the benefit of God but for your own benefit. It will
purify your food by evoking God's blessing. Before eating, you can say your own
sincere prayer from your heart asking God to purify and bless the food. Or, you
can use formal prayers such as the verses from the Gita that are traditionally
used before food. These are the 24th verse from the 4th chapter and the l4th
verse from the l5th chapter, which are particularly efficacious.

The Blessing Offering Food to God

In Sanskrit the Gita verses used before food are:
Brahmaarpanam, brahma havir,
Brahmaagnau brahmanaa hutam,
Brahmaiva tena gantavyam,
Brahma karma samaadhinaha.
Aham vaishvaanaro bhutvaa,
Praaninaam dehamaashritaha,
Praanaapaana samaa yuktaha,
Pachaamy annam chatur vidham.

which mean:
The offering is God, the act of offering is God,
Offered by God in the sacred fire which is God.
He alone attains God
Who in all his actions is fully absorbed in God.
I am the all-pervading cosmic energy,
Lodged in the bodies of living beings.
United with their ingoing and outgoing life-breaths,
I consume all the various foods.
This prayer before eating removes all the defects and flaws in the vessels and
in the articles of food, as well as removing any negative influence acquired
during the cooking process. Before offering the prayer the food is merely food;
but once you offer it to the Lord it becomes consecrated food.

The Role of the Tongue in Speech

The second aspect of the tongue is speech. As has already been mentioned, speech
has its own powerful impact on the mind and the entire mental process. It has a
tremendous power. It can perplex your mind. It can break your heart. It can even
kill you. It can also give life and encouragement and help you to reach your
divine goal. These are two opposite and contradictory results, both effected by
the spoken word.

By the use of appropriate words, it is possible to transform the entire mind of

an individual. Unfortunately, many people do not believe this. They raise
objections like, "How is it possible to transform the mind through mere words?
What experiments have been conducted to prove that there is this power in the
faculty of speech? Words are only gross sounds heard through the ear." Or else
they think, "The mind is a very subtle thing. How can mere sounds transform
something that is so subtle and fine? It is not possible." In this way they will
argue that it is impossible to bring about a mental transformation through
words. There is a small story to illustrate this attitude.

The Story of the Officer and the Preceptor

There was once a government officer who did not believe in the great power of
words to transform minds, particularly when it came to spiritual teachings. He
happened to be the education secretary for a district, and included among the
schools he had under his auspices were some religious institutions. One day he
visited one of these schools where a preceptor was teaching the holy scriptures
to a number of young students. This spiritual teacher was expounding on some
very profound concepts. Sitting there listening to this, the officer developed a
headache. Finally, he told the teacher, "My dear fellow. These are small
children. There is no need to burden them unnecessarily with such lectures. This
will be completely useless to them. Such scriptural truths and deep
philosophical concepts cannot possibly be grasped and understood by such small
children."

The teacher replied that only when children are at such a tender and
impressionable age can they be led onto the proper path. Being taught these
noble truths from the very beginning, he felt, would clear their hearts of
doubts and put them on the right track in life. The officer said, "I do not
believe in all these words. How can mere words transform the mind? I do not
think this will ever be possible." The teacher tried to convince him through
various explanations and arguments, but the officer would not listen and allow
any of the teacher's wisdom to penetrate into him. It was a case of a closed
mind. Too much authority often results in cynicism and an exaggerated sense of
self-importance. Cleverness follows and in a short time all the virtues
disappear and the reason becomes impaired.

When the teacher realized that no matter how hard he tried it was impossible to
explain his point of view to this officer, he decided to prove his point by a
practical lesson that the officer was sure to understand. He asked the youngest
of the students to get up and told this small boy, "Child, you go and physically
throw this officer out of the room. Do it immediately!" The moment he heard
these words, the officer got very angry. He started shouting at the teacher,
"Who do you think you are? I am a government officer, I am the education
secretary of this district, and you are asking a small child to send me out! How
dare you do this?"

The teacher then told the officer, "Well sir, I did not beat you or hit you or
even touch you. I did not do anything to you. Just by merely hearing some words
you seem to be getting very upset. What could be the reason for your becoming so
angry? It is because of these few words I used, isn't it?" This is how the
teacher demonstrated to him that words can be very powerful. They have an
enormous capability for doing great harm or great good, according to the way
they are used. After this personal lesson the officer left, but now much wiser
and humbled by his experience.

The Power of Words

In the scriptures you will also find statements that point out how words are
extremely powerful and can destroy the world itself. There it is said that if
you were to cut a tree, it could still sprout; or if a piece of iron were broken
in two, a blacksmith could make the two pieces come together again by heating
and pounding them until they were one. But if you were to break a heart by
venomous words, it would not be possible to ever make it whole again. Words can
cause endless troubles and they can also give boundless joy. Therefore, you
should be most careful that the words you use do not hurt or give pain to
others.

If you were to physically slip and fall there might be some small injury that
could cause you some inconvenience for a while. But there would not be any grave
consequences resulting from this in the long term. There might only have been a
small wound, which you can get easily dressed, and which would soon heal. But if
your tongue were to slip and you were to hurt the mind or the heart of another
person with harsh words, it would create a wound in that person which could not
be cured by any doctor in the world. Therefore, you should never use words which
are likely to hurt another's feelings. One day the words which you have used
will come back to you. So, always use sweet and good words.

It has been said that the tongue relishes sweet things. You can talk to it and
say, "O tongue, you like sweet things so much, why don't you linger on the sweet
name of the Lord? O tongue, you know what true sacrifice means; you are the very
embodiment of sacrifice. Use yourself only for singing the name of the Lord.
Sing of God and become sacred and holy thereby."

Sacrifice and Forbearance

Now, why do we say that the tongue knows the true meaning of sacrifice and is
absolutely selfless? Well, this is really what you experience every day. For
example, when you give some sweet things to the tongue it tastes them, and as
soon as it finds out that they are delightfully sweet, it says to itself, "O let
me pass these lovely sweet things on to the stomach so that it can also enjoy
this delight." But if what is tasted is not pleasant, if for example it is
something that is bitter, then the tongue will not pass this on to the stomach
but will immediately spit the offensive substance out of the mouth to save the
stomach from grief. Good or bad, sweet or bitter, the tongue does not try to
keep anything just for itself and only for its own enjoyment. It lives
selflessly and with honor, knowing its own limits very well. For any number of
years it is content to remain shut up inside the mouth. Does it come outside
even once? No. Whatever work it does, it does uncomplainingly inside the mouth.

There is still another important feature of the tongue; it has extraordinary

forbearance. Whatever are its difficulties and problems, and whatever troubles
others give it, it remains focused within itself, never exceeding its own
limits, and always observing forbearance. It lives in the midst of exceedingly
harmful companions, namely, very sharp and powerful teeth. With a great deal of
skill it manages not to be bitten or hurt by these aggressive fellow-residents
that share its tight quarters. With unusual skill and forbearance it has been
existing very well with such dreadful neighbors, without even once coming to any
harm.

In this way, the tongue can teach a number of very important lessons which can
be quite useful to you. For instance, it teaches you that you can live in the
midst of people who are very difficult to live with. With a lot of care,
forbearance and skill, you should be able to enjoy a happy life despite such
trying circumstances. But in today's world there will be very few who follow
such good examples. For most individuals, once they come in touch with bad
people, they also tend to become bad. All the good feelings, the good qualities,
the good thoughts and the good behavior disappear in a moment, and they lose all
their merit and virtues. In order that you do not suffer such bad consequences,
it is necessary that you gain complete control over your tongue.

Talk Wastes Spiritual Energy

Baba quite often tells the students, "Dear students, you should not talk too
much. The divine energy which is in you will get wasted in the process. By
engaging in too much talk, your memory power will be reduced and weakness will
develop in your body. Premature old age will be the final result. Besides that,
you will also get a bad name."

Now, consider that you have a radio. You may switch it on to hear a news
broadcast, but then you leave the room and forget to switch it off. The radio
just continues to play without purpose and uses up costly energy. Your body can
be compared to that radio and the intellect may be thought of as the switch that
has turned it on but failed to turn it off again. In this comparison, your mind
will be the useless sound coming forth in the form of words and talk,
ceaselessly babbling all day. The sacred divine energy in you will get wasted by
this kind of endless talk.

Right from dawn when you get up until dusk when you go to bed you go on talking,
if not loudly then within yourself. The volume might be turned down but
nevertheless the talk will be going on all the time. The radio inside just keeps
on playing non-stop and the valuable spiritual energy that is within you gets
wasted, just as electricity is consumed in the case of the radio, whether it is
playing loudly or softly. The energy just drains away.

The most common cause of premature old age and senility is this talk, and more
talk, and still more talk. All this talk is not good. You have to observe
silence. From birth you have not developed the habit of inner silence. You have
to develop it now. Actually, the two functions of the tongue are closely
related. Too much talk leads to unnatural hunger. When the talker feels more
hungry he will, of course, take more food. Because of this excess food, feelings
will arise which will express themselves in still more talk. In this process,
controlling the senses becomes an almost impossible task.

If you were to give a horse very concentrated food and then confine it or tie it
up, it would become very nervous and upset, and would not be able to keep quiet.
After you feed a horse it is necessary to exercise it also. In the same way, if
you take in rich food without working hard and taking some exercise, you will
become nervous and restless, and you will also develop egoistic feelings of
selfishness and pride. Proper exercise will strengthen your health and proper
food taken in moderation will control the negative tendencies.
One of the main purposes of spiritual practice is to see to it that the food you
take in will be used in the service of society. You must be firmly resolved to
always do good. In the face of some adversity, you should not flicker like a
flame in the wind. You must have strong self-confidence.

Self-Confidence
Consider a tiny bird which has come and landed on a branch where it continues to
sit for some time afterwards. Now, suppose a wind comes up and the branch starts
to move, swaying back and forth. The little bird will not get frightened by this
movement of the branch. Why? Because it does not depend entirely on the branch
for its support. It depends on its wings and so it has strong self-confidence
that no amount of movement of the branch would disturb it. Even if the branch
were to break, this would not threaten it or cause it to fall. But today's man
gets easily frightened by the smallest difficulties in day-to-day life. He does
not have the self-confidence which even a little bird has. What is the reason
for this? The reason is too much food. He takes in food which is full of dross
and which, in turn, generates feelings that are saturated with the quality of
rajas, excessive nervous energy and activity, which promotes apprehension and
anger. As a result, he has no chance to experience his true nature which is
even-minded and pure.

The youth of today have many doubts. They see animals and birds relating to one
another in all kinds of ways, enjoying a great deal of freedom. The youth wonder
why they should not have the same freedom and independence that the animals
enjoy. The proper answer to this question is, "Yes, you are also entitled to
freedom, but it is the freedom appropriate to a human being, not that of an
animal." Animals enjoy the freedom which is natural to animals. You should enjoy
human freedom, the freedom that is natural to human beings.

Live as a true human being; develop the qualities appropriate to a human being.
Calling yourself human but trying to enjoy the freedom of an animal will not get
you far. The human characteristics are sacrifice, love, compassion, generosity,
sympathy, nonviolence and other such noble qualities. Do not develop the
qualities associated with an animal. And even worse than that, do not succumb to
qualities much lower than an animal, namely, the qualities of a demon such as
selfishness, anger, hatred, lust, jealousy and the like. These demonic qualities
have no place in a human being.

Efface Selfishness, Pride and Jealousy

In particular, you should never allow selfishness, pride and jealousy to take up
residence within you. These three are the worst of the bad traits that infest
man. If you wish to acquire only good qualities, the human qualities instead of
animal or demonic qualities, then you will have to acquire control of the
tongue, in both the areas of speech and food. This is the royal road for human
beings. The path of devotion, requires that you use the tongue properly, which
means that you use food properly and use words properly.

Especially in this dark age of materialism and unrighteousness, the tongue can
get easily sanctified by repeating the holy name. Instead of wasting your
precious divine energy and your precious time in idle talk, let the tongue
constantly sing the praises of God and repeat his name. Sing the name of the
Lord! That is the proper way to spend your life. Use every moment of the day to
saturate yourself with the glory and the holiness of his presence.

Eighth Chapter
YOU CAN REACH GOD THROUGH LOVE ALONE

The Lord declared in the Gita, "When you constantly think of me with love, I
will bless you with the gift of spiritual discrimination. This will lead you to
permanent union with me. I promise this to you."

Embodiments of Love,
The buddhi is the discriminating faculty through which you can separate that
which is real from that which is unreal, that which is permanent from that which
is changing. This power of spiritual discernment becomes available only to
people who have developed sacred devotion and are filled with love for God.
Devotion is the royal road to attaining the highest wisdom. In truth, it is the
only path leading to self-knowledge. Devotion evokes the grace of God. The Lord
proclaimed in the twelfth chapter of the Gita, "The one who is devoted to me is
very dear to me."

Devotion
What is devotion? It is the steady flow of love towards God. When your love
flows towards individuals or towards transient, worldly things it cannot be
called devotion; it is really only a form of attachment. But when your love
flows unceasingly towards God, the one unchanging principle behind this world of
change, then your love becomes devotion.

Initially, you develop your devotion by turning towards God and approaching him.
Then, you strengthen your love for God by cultivating the attitude that you are
his devotee or his servant and you surrender yourself to his will. As your love
for God deepens, you progress to the stage where you feel an intimate closeness
to God and experience his presence continuously. Finally, you reach the
consummation of your spiritual journey when you fully realize the truth, "I am
God. God and I are one."

In practice, devotion takes two forms. First, there is the type of devotion
which involves various devotional practices and rituals engaged in by devotees,
such as the traditional practice of worshipping the Lord with ritual offerings;,
making pilgrimages to spiritual centers and attending spiritual functions,
singing devotional songs and studying devotional literature, and so on. These
are the ordinary types of devotion. In the Gita the Lord taught that these
various practices can be considered to be of a lower type. But, when your
worship expands into a total absorption in God, when your love for God enters
into every activity of your daily life and you develop a flawless, sacred
character, then you are expressing the higher devotion which very much pleases
the Lord.

There is a clear distinction, therefore, between this devotion which is

particularly dear to the Lord and the more ordinary type of devotion. The
latter uses the things of the phenomenal world to worship the Lord, such as
flowers, for example. Where have these articles come from? Have you been able to
manufacture them? Have you created these flowers? No. They have all been created
by the Lord. Where, then, is the sacrifice in offering to the Lord things which
he himself has created? Such offerings will not get you very far on your
spiritual path. But to offer to the Lord the sacred flowers of your heart, which
are not related to the world, and to offer these in loving worship to the one
who is seated in your heart, that is the highest form of devotion. That is the
devotion you should aspire for.

Meditation And Devotion Are One And The Same

Another way of thinking of this highest form of devotion is as the uninterrupted
meditation on God alone. In the popular understanding of the word, meditation
refers to concentrating on an object, and through that object reaching a higher
state of consciousness. But this is not the correct approach to meditation. True
meditation is meditation on God, and only on God. Therefore, meditation and
devotion are really the same; both are the process of concentrating on God to
the exclusion of everything else, thinking only of him. Without such meditation
or devotion it is impossible to realize the constant presence of God everywhere,
in everything, and thereby, gain true spiritual knowledge.

You long to enjoy the fruit, but you will not be able to get it without first
having the flower. First comes the blossom, then comes the fruit. Devotion is
like the flower. Without first developing the flower of unshakable love for God
and allowing it to blossom forth, it will be impossible for you to acquire the
fruit of spiritual wisdom. This flower of love may express itself in different
ways as the following example shows.

The Householder and the Monk

There were two devotees who both had an all-consuming love for God. One was a
householder leading a family life and the other was a renunciate monk. The
family man felt himself to be the servant of the Lord and always practiced the
principle of total surrender to God. The great virtue of the servant stage is
that through the practice of humility and surrender, the ego quickly disappears.
As long as you have egoism, you will not be able to gain the sacred knowledge of
the supreme self.

Egoism can be found everywhere. Even Arjuna, whom Krishna befriended for so
long, and to whom Krishna gave so much encouragement, was riddled with egoistic
feelings throughout his life. It was only after Arjuna threw down his bow and
surrendered himself completely to the Lord, saying, "Command me, O Lord, I will
do whatever you say," that Krishna taught him the highest wisdom of the Gita.
So, the householder started from the very humble beginning which is associated
with "I am your servant, O Lord, I am your instrument", and he expressed his
unshakable love for God that way. On the other hand, the monk, expressed his
love for God by seeking God everywhere he went, in everyone and in everything he
encountered. He would constantly repeat, "Everywhere I look I find only God.
Everything I see is created by God and imbued with God. Everyone I meet is but
God. I too am truly God."

Because of the different circumstances of their lives, these two individuals

adopted different paths to overcome the power of illusion. The householder, by
following the path of a servant became smaller and smaller, until he became so
small that he slipped through the clutches of that fierce tiger maya, the
terrible power of illusion, which had held him in its claws. By losing his ego
he became free. For the monk, the shackles of illusion which had been binding
him were broken to pieces when he transcended his ego limitations by absorbing
himself in the conviction "Everywhere there is only God. All is God. I too am
God. I am God." Through their deep love of God, each in his own way was able to
transcend the power of illusion.

I Am God
If you develop within yourself the sacred and lofty idea, "I am God", you will
not be bothered by anything; nothing can come in your way. Of course, it is of
no use to merely utter these words. You must first overcome your body
consciousness and maintain a firm control over your senses. At the same time,
you must develop an intense love for God and live it by continuously identifying
yourself with the divine. This will lead you to the supreme wisdom. Or, you can
express your love for God by following the path of the servant. This will
quickly remove the egoism from your heart and fill you with bliss.

There are three successive stages on the way to God-realization. iIn the very
beginning you will declare, "I am a devotee of God." Here there are two
entities, one is God and the other is you, the devotee. God is believed to be
away somewhere, and your approach will be to try to find God, to get closer to
him, and become very near to him. Gradually you progress along this path and, in
time, you will come face to face with God. Then you say to him, "Dear Lord, I
belong to you." In this second stage, you stand erect before God and declare
yourself as his own, very close to him. Then in the third stage you know
yourself to be one with God and you state, "You and I are one."

The first stage, which is characterized by the declaration, "I am the servant of
God," and where God is cognized as a faraway form, is dualism. The second stage,
where you say directly to God, "O Lord, I am your devotee", and feel him inside
your heart, is the stage of qualified non-dualism. The third stage, in which the
ultimate truth dawns within you and you say to God, "I am you and you are me",
is non-dualism. At that point there is no distinction between you and God.

From the Form to the Formless

You commence your journey from the stage of dualism and finally end up in the
stage of non-dualism. You start your spiritual practice with the very ordinary
type of devotion, worshipping God with form and attributes and using rituals and
external forms of worship. But then you quickly progress onto the formless, the
absolute aspect of the Divinity. In this way, you initially develop yourself
spiritually by being a servant of God, but eventually you become fully
identified with God.

Consider, for a moment, a very big circle, and consider that just by its side
and separate from it there is another circle, one which is very much smaller.
The big circle may be thought of as God, the small one as the individual soul.
Here the individual is different and distinct from God; this is dualism. When
you bring the smaller circle in so that it lies within the bigger circle, you
have qualified non-dualism; now the individual is part of the Divinity, he
exists in God. What then is the meaning of the individual becoming totally
merged in God? The small circle has to broaden itself and grow bigger and bigger
until it has fully expanded to the size of the big circle. At that point the two
circles are indistinguishable and man has merged himself into God. This is
complete non-dualism.

Surrender to the Divinity Within You

On the path of devotion it is absolute surrender which makes the individual soul
expand and become merged with God. It is when you relinquish your limited
individuality by surrendering yourself to the divinity inherent within you that
all your weaknesses will leave you and you will develop the broadness of mind
that finally culminates in your mergence with God. How can you gain this
understanding of your divine nature? How can you recognize the divinity within
you so that you can follow its directions? It is only through steady practice
that you will acquire this realization.

To acquire even the smallest skills in the world, you have to constantly
practice, be it reading, writing, walking or talking. All of these are developed
through practice alone. If you start your practice at the first step then
eventually you will be able to reach the last step. In this case, the last step
means acquiring the supreme knowledge that makes you free.
There are two types of knowledge. One refers to spiritual knowledge, the other
to knowledge of the physical world. Inquiring into the various properties of an
object is the ordinary knowledge associated with the world. But understanding
the inner principle, the underlying basis and purpose of every object that has
ever existed in the world, is spiritual knowledge; that is what can be called
wisdom. This is a very important quality to cultivate. Even for understanding
the world in its deeper aspects, you first have to acquire spiritual wisdom.

To gain spiritual wisdom you must use your body wisely and have your mind and
your senses under control. Without the body it is not possible to perform any
activity. For all types of work and activities, the body is needed; it is the
basis for all practices. Use your body for the purpose of reaching your goal and
in performing activities which will be useful to others. Here is a small
example.

Transforming Desires Into Wisdom

Consider for a moment that you have gone on a picnic to a forest, and that you
have taken along all the articles necessary for cooking and preparing your food.
Just before you start your meal preparations, you gather up three stones and
arrange them as a base for the cooking vessels. Next you put some water in the
vessel and then you add the rice. Underneath the vessel, in between the stones,
you make a fire.

What is the purpose of the fire beneath the vessel? It is through the heat of
the fire that you can cook the rice which is in the vessel. Without the vessel,
if the rice were to be put straight into the fire, you would not be able to get
the food that you want. The heat of the fire gets transmitted to the vessel, and
on from the vessel to the water, and finally from the water to the rice. In this
way the rice gets cooked and you enjoy your meal.

In this forest of life, you are searching for bliss, which can be compared to
the food that you prepare. The three stones are the three basic qualities of
inertia, activity and purity, underlying all natural phenomena and human
activities. Your body may be considered the vessel. Your feelings and desires
are the water, and your spiritual yearnings and aspirations are the rice. The
fire which you have put between these three stones is the purifying practice
which is used to acquire wisdom. This purifying fire which must continue for
some time, has to be applied to the body, and through the body to the feelings
and desires; these in turn will be cooked and transmuted into the highest
spiritual yearnings. Finally, this process results in the cooked product, the
spiritual food, the knowledge of the true self, which you have been aspiring
for. This knowledge grants eternal bliss.

It would not be possible for you to realize such spiritual wisdom directly in
your heart, straight off, without first going through the cooking process.
Through the body and your good actions you have to burn up your desires,
transform them into spiritual yearnings; this will then lead to the realization
of the highest knowledge.

Renouncing the Fruits of Your Labor

The correct application of the practice of meditation is the gradual, slow and
steady control of all desires through the constant practice of love for God. By
controlling the sense organs and controlling your desires it will become
possible to carry on all your activities in a totally natural and spontaneous
way, without expecting to reap any fruits from your labors. Actually, it is
impossible to have work without fruits. Whenever you engage in an activity there
will necessarily follow some consequence or result; this is the fruit of that
action. So, it is not that there are no fruits, but the Gita teaches that you
should give up interest in the fruits. The fruits will always be there, but do
not work for the purpose of obtaining these fruits. Work only because it is your
duty to work, because it is God's will.

While discharging your duty there will incidentally be some desires and there
will also be some results, in other words, some fruits. There is no harm in
that. Just continue doing your duty. Gita has not taught that actions will be
without fruits. People who have not correctly understood the meaning of
sacrificing the fruits of action are giving up the action itself. But actions
must be engaged in. What the Gita stresses is renunciation in action and not
renunciation of action. Until the food is cooked there is need for the fire.
Until you understand the inner secret of work, and that of sacrificing the
fruits of work, you will have to continue to engage in activities and discharge
your duties.

Love Is the Root of All Spiritual Practices

A noble character and good behavior announces the inner truth of a person; this
truth is based on love. Whether you are engaged in sacrificing the fruits of
your actions, or contemplating on the omnipresent Lord, or practicing inner
inquiry and aspiring to gain wisdom, the root of all these spiritual exercises
is love. There are five major human values that distinguish a noble human being.
These are truth, righteousness, peace, love and nonviolence. But they do not
exist separately. They are all essentially dependent on one of these five, which
is the primary value. That is love.

When love enters the thoughts it becomes truth. When love manifest itself in the
form of action it becomes righteousness. When your feelings become saturated
with love you become peace itself. The very meaning of the word peace is love.
When you fill your understanding with love it is nonviolence. For all these
noble human qualities it is love which flows as the undercurrent.

Another way of saying this is when you saturate every thought of yours with love
then you are immersed in truth. When you practice love in your daily life it is
dharma or righteous living. When you feel love all the time you are established
in abiding peace. And when you have a deep understanding of the divine principle
of love you become steeped in nonviolence. In the Gita, in the chapter on
devotion, it says, "Fill yourself with love and use this love to reach me. In
that way, you will develop both nearness and dearness to me."

Dear devotee. Your hands are very small but with these little hands you are
trying to serve me. Your eyes are very small but with these two little eyes you
are trying to see my infinite vastness. Your ears are very small but with these
two little ears you are trying to follow my sacred words. With your two little
feet you are attempting to come towards me.

But merely serving me with your two little hands will not achieve very much.
Merely looking at my infinite form with your two little eyes will also not be of
much use. Merely listening to my divine words through your two little ears will
not get you very far. And merely coming into my presence with your two little
feet will not serve you so strongly. But there is one thing you can do which
will have a great impact, which will produce a truly significant effect. That
is: Install me permanently in your heart! Once you bring me into your heart then
all these other activities will no longer appear very important.

Whatever worship you have been engaged in, using your eyes and your ears and
your hands and your feet, has only served to control your mind. But when you
invite the Lord to enter your heart, then control of the mind and the senses
becomes very easy. The mind and senses will become still on their own. There
will be no need for any special effort to be made for sacrificing the fruits of
your actions. Krishna said, "Once you start thinking only of me, and keeping
your thoughts constantly fixed on me, then I will automatically take care of all
the rest." To achieve this state of total one-pointed focus on the Lord, you
must develop a firm resolve and an unshakable faith that the Lord is ever-
present in your own heart. Your heart is his residence.

Fill Your heart With Love and Faith

God is always full and complete; to reach such infinite fullness you must have
full faith. When God is full and complete and you are not full and complete,
there cannot develop the necessary binding force that will hold you and God
together. To reach the full and complete love that is God, you must also have a
full heart, full of love and faith. If, instead, you are filled with doubts, you
will undermine this pure principle of love which is your true nature; your
doubts will blemish your heart and distance you from the omniscient, omnipotent
and omnipresent Lord, who is aware of your every thought.

Whatever thoughts you have, fill them with him. Think of him with a full heart
saturated with love and faith; then you will certainly reach him. In the Gita,
He said that you will become dear to him when you worship him fully with all
your heart. That means seeing him everywhere, in everything. The Gita
proclaimed, in all of the creation do not hate anyone or anything, for he is in
every name and form. When you have the feeling of love permeating your whole
being, you become very dear to him.

All the noble human qualities are already there in their fullness in every human
being, but very few people are making any effort to become aware of them. They
are wasting their time in pursuing only outer activities in the world. But you
must also engage in inner activities which will help you to reach your goal. For
example, you perform your worship using external rituals, but you must perform
your worship internally, as well, offering God the flowers of your heart. Then
there will be unity and harmony in your life. Once you achieve such unity in all
your activities, both inner and outer, your life becomes sanctified and you will
experience fulfillment in whatever you do.

Love Is the Most Important of All Human Qualities

In the path of devotion, it has been taught that love is the basis of
everything. It is the single most important quality that has to be developed.
All your thoughts must become immersed in this quality of love... then truth
will naturally establish itself in your heart. All your acts must be saturated
with love... then righteousness will naturally manifest itself in all your
undertakings. All your feelings must be soaked in love... then you will be able
to enjoy immense peace. And all your understanding must be filled with love...
then you cannot hate or hurt anything. Therefore, love is the very basis of
peace of mind. Love is the very birthplace of truth. Love is the very foundation
of righteousness and nonviolence. That is why Baba has so often said, "Love is
God. God is love."

The essence of the teaching of the path of devotion is to develop and practice
this selfless love. Then you will become broadminded and, in that way, fully
develop all the greatness that is inherent within you.

Ninth Chapter

DESIRE AND ANGER - THE TWIN EVILS

Only when you can still your thoughts will you be able to overcome desires, and
only after you have controlled your desires will you be able to conquer anger.
Therefore, the first step in conquering desires and anger is to become free of
the thought process.

Embodiments of Love,
Stilling the mind is an essential practice for both devotees and ordinary
people, but, as has been taught in the Gita chapter on devotion, the calming of
all thoughts is especially important for devotees. Thoughts are charged with
energy and life. They can even be stronger than the strongest matter. You begin
thinking right from the moment of birth. The material making up your thoughts is
extremely subtle; it arises from the food you eat. Therefore, if you consume
food that has been sanctified you will get only sacred thoughts.

Use Sacred Thoughts to Destroy Dark Thoughts

When a person is filled with sacred thoughts all his actions will be sacred. His
words will also be sacred. Such sacred thoughts are like a sword or a sharp
knife. You can use sacred thoughts to search out dark thoughts, dark feelings
and dark actions, and cut them to pieces. On the other hand, if you take in food
that is not sanctified, dark feelings, dark actions and dark thoughts will
flourish. Not only this, but because of unwholesome food you will weaken the
body and lose the power of digestion, and suffer all sorts of bodily
discomforts.

In the Gita the Lord has emphasized that for worldly prosperity as well as for
developing the spiritual potential that is inherent in man, a strong and pure
body is essential. For this it is important that only wholesome food be consumed
and that it be sanctified by being offered to the Lord before it is eaten.
Thoughts and the thought process constitute the very form of the mind. If
thoughts are turned towards the phenomenal world and the things related to it,
then these thought processes become concerned with wealth and property, for
these are the very basis of life in the phenomenal world. The word wealth
usually refers to your worldly possessions and attachments, such as money,
houses and land. Another form of wealth is your fame, your position and station
in life. But the Gita does not consider either possessions or status as your
real wealth. It declares that character is your wealth, good behavior is your
wealth, and above all, knowledge of the supreme self is your true wealth.

Good Character, Good Behavior and Knowledge of the Self

Worldly name and fame, property and family are all ephemeral. They may disappear
even while you are still alive. Calamity and misfortune may bring about the loss
of name and fame, property and family. What is more, none of these will have any
connection with you after your death. But good character, good behavior and all
the noble qualities which they give rise to, will help you not only during your
lifetime but also when this life is over. They will remain your steadfast
companions forever. They will be by your side to help you gain the knowledge of
your true self, and thereby reach the Lord and merge with him.

Your true fame does not depend on your physical beauty or your charm. It does
not depend on your riches. It does not depend on your physical strength. It
depends only on your good character. In the scriptures, you will find the story
of Vishvamitra who, at that time, was a powerful and ruthless king obsessed with
ego and pride in his physical prowess. One time, he decided to take revenge on
the sage Vashishta. Of course, Vashishta based his strength only on divinity. He
was a very great soul who was ever established in God-consciousness. He wore an
invisible protective shield, the protection that comes from being immersed in
the divine principle.

When attacked by the deadly arrows and missiles of Vishvamitra, the sage
remained completely unruffled. The arrows that Vishvamitra launched towards
Vashishta became utterly powerless, as if they were aimed at a mountain of
stone. All the missiles Vishvamitra used broke into pieces the moment they
touched Vashishta's body and fell harmlessly to the ground.

In fact, physical strength is really a kind of weakness. Only power which is

based on divinity and has the strength of right-eousness is true strength. When
Vishvamitra realized this, he undertook severe penance so as to reach the same
lofty spiritual state that Vashishta was always in. After engaging in prolonged
austerities, Vishvamitra was finally able to acquire the knowledge of the divine
and have Vashishta himself proclaim him a God-conscious sage.

Divine Power and Physical Power

The Kauravas, the evil cousins that Arjuna and the Pandavas had to encounter in
the great war, together were one hundred brothers. The Kauravas had also based
their strength on military might. In the end, all these brothers died in the war
which they had fomented and not even a single son was left to perform the
funeral rites for the parents, when the parents died. What a terrible fate that
was. Instead of seeking divine help, the Kaurava brothers took refuge only in
physical power, in money and in the strength of individuals. On the other hand,
the Pandava brothers surrendered everything to Krishna, and sought only his
grace.

When Arjuna fell at the feet of Krishna and surrendered to him, Krishna was very
pleased and lifted him up, saying, "Get up, Arjuna. Real power lies in faith. In
the end, justice will always triumph and selfishness will always perish; this is
the one unchanging righteous truth that applies in every age." He assured Arjuna
on the day of the battle that whoever takes refuge in the Lord will win the
Grace of the Lord, and will be successful in whatever he undertakes. Whereas one
who refuses the protection of the Lord will not be able to win his grace, and in
the end, will surely fail and be destroyed.

If you aspire to earn the grace of the Lord, you have to control your worldly
desires. All your activities in the phenomenal world have to do with the waking
state. The results that arise from these activities are no more real than the
results you get in dreams. The mansions and big bungalows you see in dreams
vanish in a flash once you open your eyes and wake up. They are not real and
were never real. The experiences of your dream state disappear in your waking
state and the experiences of your waking state disappear in your dream state.
And in your deep-sleep state they both vanish.

The Three Worlds and The Lord Beyond

Krishna taught in the Gita that there are three worlds, the physical, the mental
and the causal. The mental world is a subtle form of the physical world, and the
causal world is an even subtler form of the mental world. Of these three inter-
penetrating worlds of your waking, dream and deep-sleep consciousness, the
causal is the subtlest. It is all-pervasive. But beyond all these is the
infinite Lord, the supreme principle of divinity. This divine principle is the
subtlest of the subtle, the smallest of the small, but also the biggest of the
big. Among the mighty ones, the divinity is the mightiest of all. There can be
nothing greater. Seek him. Install him in your heart and be saved. Know that
that mightiest of the mighty is your very self. This is the truth of divinity.
This is your truth.
To reach the principle of Godhead, which is the goal supreme, you have to start
your journey with the first stage of the path, wherein you consider yourself to
be the servant or the messenger of God. This is the stage of dualism. Gradually
you enter the stage of qualified non-dualism, the second major step on the
spiritual path. Here you experience the divinity within yourself, in your own
heart. At this stage you identify yourself very closely with the Lord. You will
have the feeling, "God is within me. He is the one I truly am. I am he. I am
he." Then, as you continue still further on the spiritual path, all duality will
disappear completely and you will be left with only the I, the pure self,
without any modifications or limitations.

This whole journey is a little like the healing process that takes place with a
wound. Initially, a protective layer of hard skin forms over the wound.
Eventually this covering falls off by itself as the wound heals. When both the
feeling that you are the servant of the Lord and the feeling that you are one
with the Lord, both of which cover the pure I, fall off, then you will be in the
final stage of non-dualism. Then you are immersed in the one truth, I am I.

Wherever You Look You See Your One Self

When you declare, "I am he, I am God," there is still some duality, because
there are still two entities, I and God. So, this is still not complete non-
dualism. At the very beginning, when you say, "O Lord, I am your servant," the
Lord is separate and the servant is separate, and their status is clearly
different. On the other hand, when you say, "I am God," although there is still
a trace of duality, the distinction is not one of separate subject and object
but more like seeing the reflection or image of yourself in a mirror.

Whenever people are different, when there are many separate entities, then there
will also be many different images or reflections. But in the stage of qualified
non-dualism, you see only your own image everywhere, because you are all there
is. You are the one self being reflected as many images, just like the one sun
is seen as separate images in a number of different water-filled pots. So, in
the stage of qualified non-dualism, you are alone; there is none other. The only
thing that still comes between you and the divinity is the mirror. You
constantly perceive your own reflection, and so you see yourself as very near
and very dear to the Lord - face to face with him.

But when you perceive only the one God who is all-pervasive, then where is the
need for any image at all? Can there be a place where he is not? When the entire
world is the mansion of the omnipresent Lord, then where should you look to find
the door to enter his mansion? If there were a separate street and a separate
house then there would have to be a door which opens onto the street; but in
truth, there is no street at all. When the all-pervasive Lord is everywhere, how
can there be any special place where you must seek him to find him? No, there is
no special place where he resides.

Once you realize that he is everywhere at all times, then the true perception of
the divinity is not that of an object whose reflection is seen in various places
but the realization that there is only you, the one immortal self, abiding
everywhere, present in everything in all its fullness. This all-pervasive
perception of the divinity as the one without a second, is called non-dualism.

You Are Not a Sinner - You Are God

As part of their religious observances, people will sometimes say in their
prayers, "O Lord, I am a sinner, my soul is full of sin, I have been performing
so many sinful acts." But who is this person who is sinning? Can there ever be
anyone who is separate from the Lord? Can such a one exist? These declarations
about sinning and being a sinner are not good practices for devotees to engage
in. Rather you should think, "In truth, I am God. I am not different from God. I
am peace itself. I am love eternal. I am pure bliss without end." Keeping such
lofty ideas and thoughts in your mind is the best way to reach the goal.

In the Gita, in the list of noble qualities that a devotee should possess, the
Lord started with, "Be without hatred towards any living being." If you treat
happiness and misery with an equal mind then the question of hatred does not
arise at all. If you recognize that the same transcendental principle is
embodied in all human beings as well as in all creatures, then there cannot be
any room for hatred. If you realize that the one divinity resides equally in
all, then how could you ever hate another? Where is the other? In this context,
you might ask for whom the phrase, "Be without hatred towards any living being"
is intended. Is it meant for those who have realized the one transcendental
principle which exists equally in themselves and in everyone else? No, it is
obviously not intended for them. This injunction is given for the sake of those
who have not yet realized this great truth of the unity of all beings.

The Sweetness of the Servant Path

There is an extraordinary joy which you obtain when you immerse yourself in the
attitude of being the servant of the Lord. You soon become filled with delight
from having imbibed the Lord's sweetness, and you never want to leave that happy
state. You come to the conclusion that if ever you were to move on from this
feeling of being the servant to the state of "I am he", you would not be able to
continue to enjoy the consummate sweetness of the Lord. Sugar does not know its
own sweetness. You may be concerned that if you were to become one with the
sugar you would no longer be able to enjoy its sweetness. Since you partake of
the Lord's sweetness in the servant stage, you may prefer to remain in this
stage so that you will always be able to taste the nectarine sweetness of the
Lord, rather than being one with him.

For example, Hanuman, the great devotee of God, had the experience of extreme
bliss arising from his unwavering attitude of "I am the servant of Lord Rama".
But how long can such a feeling last? It can last only as long as you have the
grace of the Lord and are near to him. If you were to ever become separated from
him, then in all likelihood you would experience extreme anguish.

In the stage of qualified non-dualism, the question of suffering does not arise
at all, because in that exalted state you are unceasingly with the Lord, and
there is no possibility of experiencing any separation or suffering. In the
servant stage there is the possibility of separation between the Lord and the
servant, but in the second stage of qualified non-dualism there cannot be any
discontinuity in the bliss since no possibility of separation can arise.

Controlling Desires and Anger

If you want to reach the ultimate truth of your being and be immersed in the
bliss of your own divine principle, you need to develop complete control over
your desires. The moment any thought arises, you should inquire into the nature
of this thought. Ask yourself, "Is this thought desirable or is it harmful for
my spiritual progress?" Devotees should be extremely careful right from the very
beginning, to see to it that dark thoughts do not remain in their minds. For
most people, it is impossible to remain without any thoughts at all. But, at
least, when dark thoughts arise you can do something about it. Do not harbor
them. Give them no shelter.
Immediately transform any dark thoughts into sacred ones. In the same way, see
to it that you undertake only good actions, and take every opportunity to
transform these actions into worship by consecrating them to the Lord. By
transforming all thoughts into noble thoughts and all work into worship, you
will naturally progress on the sacred path. By controlling your thoughts in this
way, you will also be able to control any anger that might arise.

Quite a few people worry about anger, wondering what is the best way to control
it when it comes on and tries to overwhelm them. The easiest way to control
anger is this. The moment you become aware that anger is rising within you, just
laugh very loudly. Or go to the bathroom and have a cool bath. You can also take
a glass of cool water and relax in a cool place. The moment anger comes it is
most helpful to leave the place where you are and go somewhere else. If with all
these measures you still have not been able to control your anger, then stand in
front of a mirror and examine your face. After seeing your appearance you will
surely feel so much disgust that at once you will be able to control your anger.

One other thing you can do whenever anger comes is to inquire into the cause of
this anger. Is it justified? Remember that if someone is going to be harmed in
the process of your anger, you will be committing a sin, and that cannot
possibly be good for you. To undertake all these methods will be quite
difficult, but it is enough to remember not to let your tongue go into action
immediately after you get angry and spill out a torrent of angry words. Take
some time to think things over. In a number of ways anger weakens a person who
is trying to undertake a spiritual practice. If you make some effort to control
anger when it arises, these efforts will act to strengthen your body and purify
your mind.

Attraction and Repulsion

The Gita declared that a weak person can never gain self-realization. Therefore,
in order to acquire the knowledge of your true self, it is most important that
you gain full control over your attachments and hatreds, over your desires and
anger. These pairs of opposites arise from the primary qualities of attraction
and repulsion which are inherent in the human psyche as well as within all
phenomenal things and beings. Attraction and repulsion are responsible for
everything that makes up the world. They keep you bound to the world, and as
long as you are preoccupied with the world, the light of truth will not shine
for you. Therefore, this attraction and repulsion for things of the world must
be banished from your heart. Then the knowledge of the true self can take root
there.

When you have the sacred knowledge of the atma in your heart, you will be able
to enjoy peace. That fragrance of peace will spread all around you and affect
everyone you see and touch. On the other hand, if you are filled with dark
feelings, dark thoughts and dark actions, these will pollute your heart and
infect others with your poison. Whether good or bad, the thoughts that suffuse
your heart and take shelter there, will spread to others around you, and these
others will soon emanate the same feelings.

Sometimes there may be some difficulty in distinguishing good from bad. The real
distinction is not in outer appearances and labels but in the inner purity and
intentions. If you hold a rose in your right hand, which in the East is
considered your sacred hand, the fragrance of the flower will not only reach you
but also the people in the surrounding area. But even when you take the same
rose and hold it in your left hand, which in the East is considered the unsacred
hand, the rose will spread its sweet fragrance to all. You might make a
difference between right and left, but for the fragrance there is no distinction
whatsoever. It spreads to all who are near just as profusely from the unsacred
hand as from the sacred one.

Likewise, whether you are a theist or an atheist, this relates only to your own
feelings and beliefs. As far as God is concerned, if you have sacred thoughts
and engage in good works and good words, then even if you are an atheist you
will be dear to him. The Lord of the Gita declared, "Whoever he is, if he has
control over his desires and anger, if he has subdued either his attraction or
his abhorrence to people and things of the world, then he is very dear to me."

Character Not Belief Is What Is Important

Indian philosophy has been classified according to those who believe in God and
those who do not believe in God. But to the divinity, what counts are the
qualities of men's character rather than their beliefs. Prahlada;, who was the
son of a demon king, was one of the greatest devotees of the Lord. He was put to
great trouble by his father and his teachers who tried to impress on him their
demonic traits. Although he was born a demon, Prahlada always displayed a noble
and sterling character. And despite all the difficulties he was put to, Prahlada
was able to continuously enjoy the bliss of his own immortal self, and know the
presence of the Lord in his heart. Prahlada means the one who is continuously
happy. So, if you go on thinking of the Lord continuously, these feelings of joy
will shine forth with an effulgent splendor, and you will become one with God.

Right at the outset of your spiritual journey you have to make determined
efforts to control your desires and anger, your attachments and hatred. This
will permit the divine principle to shine forth from within you. Controlling
desire and anger is a most important spiritual practice. It is the primary task
of every devotee. If you succeed in controlling desire and anger, attachments
and hatred, you will be able to justify your life and reach your goal. But if
you allow them to remain within you, then whatever spiritual exercises you
undertake will be wasted and your life too will become an utter waste.

Tenth Chapter

LOVE AND SACRIFICE - THE CURE FOR DESIRE AND ANGER

Anger is born of desire and desire arises from thoughts. Therefore, thoughts
alone are responsible for both desire and anger. Just as you cannot get cloth
without thread and thread without cotton, you cannot get anger without desire
and desire without thoughts.

Embodiments of Love,
In the Gita, the divine teacher has termed desire and anger as fire. There is
danger of being harmed by fire even when it is some distance from you. When this
is true for a fire that is burning outside then how much more careful you must
be when the fire is burning fiercely in your own heart. This fire of desire and
anger has an extraordinary capacity to destroy all your human qualities and to
suppress the divine nature within you, leaving only the demonic qualities raging
inside.

The Fire of Desire

Most things in the world have prescribed limits but the fire of desire and anger
is limitless in its hunger. Whatever fuel you give to fire, whether it be wood,
oil, or anything else, it will never have enough. But even the most destructive
fire eventually burns itself out and becomes extinguished when it uses up its
fuel, whereas this fire of desire and anger knows no such limitation. It has a
voracious appetite that is endless. It will not exhaust itself. It cannot be
appeased. It will never be satisfied. This fire of desire and anger has no
contentment at all.

That being its nature, is there any way to control it? The Lord declared in the
Gita, "You can conquer anger through love and you can conquer desire through
renunciation and sacrifice." Where there is love there can be no anger. If you
develop your love, then there will be no room left in your heart for hatred and
anger to take root. The heart is like a chair, there is room for only one
occupant at a time. Therefore, only one quality can establish itself there. It
leaves no place for another to enter and occupy it at the same time. You must
make every effort to establish love and only love in your heart. You must never
allow your heart to become like a 'musical chair', giving room for love at one
time and for anger and hatred at other times.

If you want to conquer anger through your love then you must develop your love
in a most magnificent way. Love is always prepared to shower itself freely and
to overlook the defects and weaknesses in others. Love has this extraordinary
quality, it lives by giving and forgiving, whereas the little ego-self lives by
getting and forgetting. Where there is love there can be no room for
selfishness, and where there is selfishness there will be no love.

Make Love the Dominant Force in Your Life

There is absolutely nothing in the world which you cannot achieve when you shine
with this principle of love. With love you can conquer all obstacles. Therefore,
to achieve total victory over anger you have to fill your heart with love and
make love the dominant force in your life. Once you recognize that the indweller
of your heart is the indweller of every heart, that the beloved Lord whom you
worship seated on the throne of your heart is also dwelling in every other
heart, then there can be no possibility of hating or being angry with any person
in the world. When the same Lord is in every heart how can you look down with
contempt at another? Therefore, immerse yourself fully in this principle of love
and establish it indelibly in your heart.

As has been mentioned before by Baba, when love is associated with thoughts, it
becomes truth; when love is introduced into your activities, your actions become
righteous; when your feelings are saturated with love, your heart is filled with
supreme peace; and when you allow love to guide your understanding and
reasoning, then your intelligence becomes saturated with a deep respect and
caring for all life, and you manifest the quality of nonviolence. Therefore,
love is truth, love is right action, love is peace, love is nonviolence. For all
these noble human qualities love is the undercurrent. If your thoughts are not
filled with love, there will be no truth. If there is no love in your actions,
righteousness will not be present. If you do not feel love in your heart, there
will be no peace. And if you do not base your understanding on love, nonviolence
will not establish itself in your intellect.

So, just as sugar is the basis of all different kinds of sweets, so also love is
the basic ingredient for truth, righteousness, peace and nonviolence. Love is
the divinity itself. Love is God and God is love. Love is the divine power that
activates everything. Through love you can easily conquer hatred and anger.
Therefore, always live in love.

The Nature of Anger

Anger; can be the source of numerous difficulties and expose you to countless
problems. It destroys your dignity and undermines the principle of humanness
that exists within you. Anger first enters in a very subtle form and gradually
becomes all-pervasive. Initially, when it comes in, it will only ask for a small
bit of space. "Just give me a little room to sit down in," it says. Once it has
established itself, it declares, "Now, I'll make myself enough space to lie down
and stay." But you must not permit even the least room in your heart for such
bad traits. Once you let anger in, it will be impossible to get rid of it. Even
if you make friends with it and give it all your wealth it will not leave you.
It is a most dangerous poison which should not be given even the least space to
get a foothold within you.

In a car the red tail-light goes on as a warning before the car comes to a stop.
In the same way, before you explode into anger, your eyes become red, your lips
begin to quiver and the whole body becomes hot. The moment you start having any
of these symptoms, you had best leave the place you are in immediately and go to
a solitary spot and sit there until peace returns. As was mentioned yesterday,
you can also take a cold-water bath.

Once anger expresses itself in words it may lead to endless complications and
problems later on. Even if your anger is justifiable and you are protecting the
truth, you will still have to learn how to express that truth in a sweet way, in
a dear way, in an acceptable way that would be received by the other person
without hurting him in any way. Therefore, every devotee must learn to control
his anger by developing and saturating his heart with love.

Sacrifice Conquers Desire

Next, let us consider how to deal with desire. To conquer desire you have to
develop a sacrificing nature; you must be steeped in renunciation. Renunciation
does not mean that you give up your family and go to the forest; nor does it
require you to give up all your property. Once you realize the defects in any
object, once you recognize its transitoriness and worthlessness in helping you
to reach your goal, you will automatically stop desiring it.

Even when living the life of a householder immersed in the world, you can
recognize the defects and weaknesses of the things of the world. For example,
there may be a certain kind of food that you enjoy very much, like a curry, for
example, and you ask your cook to prepare a variety of dishes made with this
curry. You sit down to eat, the meal is brought in and you are about to eat it
with great relish. But then the cook comes running in and says, "Stop! Please
sir, don't eat this food! I just discovered a poisonous lizard has fallen into
the pot and is dead inside!" The moment you hear this and recognize the harmful
nature of the food you were about to eat, you would under no circumstances
consider eating it anymore, no matter how much you previously cherished that
dish and looked forward to having it.

In the same way, you have to recognize the nature of the things of the world.
They are ever changing and some day they must cease to exist. Once you know
this, how can you remain enthusiastic about acquiring them and trying to get
lasting enjoyment from them? Food is only medicine for the disease called
hunger. How can it ever be an item of luxurious indulgence? When you are sick
and medicines are given, do you refuse them if they are not tasty? Therefore,
recognize the fact that the things you use in the world are only medicines for
the diseases that you have.

As the disease declines, the need for medicine diminishes. When you are well you
do not need to take any medicines at all; but when you are sick you must take
the right medicine which will cure you of your illness. You cannot refuse to
take the medicine just because it is not very tasty, while at the same time
hoping to get cured. Now you are running after all sorts of attractive and tasty
things which instead of curing your ills worsen them. You rejoice that you have
discovered so many delights in the world and that you are living a very happy
life, enjoying many things which seem to give you a lot of comfort and joy. But
these are not real enjoyments, for, in the future, you will surely have to face
the consequences of all these indulgences you are engaging in now.

The Pest of Desire and Hatred

Consider a giant tree which has a number of branches heaped with flowers and
fruits. It is a very grand and attractive tree. One day, this tree begins to dry
up and its flowers fall off. Is it because there is a shortage of water or
manure? Has there been some neglect in feeding it? No, there is some kind of
pest that has attacked its roots and is destroying this beautiful tree. Through
the roots the pest enters and starts to eat up this giant tree. In the same way,
once you allow these pests of desire and hatred to enter your heart, then one
day you will quite suddenly come to ruin. This is absolutely certain.

In the material world you think that a rich man is a very important individual,
but in the world of the spirit, material wealth is of no consequence. Charity is
a quality that is much greater than all the possessions associated with wealth.
If there is no charity, wealth has no intrinsic value at all. You have four
heirs, each of whom will enter a claim to your wealth. The first is charity. The
second is the government. The third is the thief. And the fourth is fire. Each
of them expects to inherit your wealth, but if you were to hand over all your
wealth to your first heir, charity, then the others will get no share of it.

When you give freely to charity, you will find that the other claimants will
show great respect for your decision and will not press their own claims.
For example, we know that the government gives you an income-tax exemption when
you donate to charity. Even fire will be a little frightened of you, and thieves
will leave you alone. So, when you give to charity, which may be considered your
oldest son and your natural heir, then the others who would otherwise try to
claim your wealth will respect your action and not interfere. But if you possess
wealth and do not give it in charity, then the thief will have his eye on you
and the government will also try to catch hold of you and claim your riches as
its own. If these two for some reason choose to ignore you, then fire will come
one day and destroy your possessions.

Let All the Noble Human Qualities Shine Within You

The Gita has declared that it is charity, not wealth, which is really important.
In a similar way, in human beings, it is not the ability to speak well but the
truth which is uttered, that is important. If there is no truth in your speech,
then whatever you say will have no value at all. The Gita has also declared that
it is not life itself but a good character that is important. A life devoid of
good character is useless. You have to develop your character and earn a good
name so that all the noble human qualities will shine forth in you.

Your most important duty is to harbor good thoughts, to have good behavior, to
speak good words and to lead a good life. You must be very careful with your
words and actions so that you will never earn a bad name. Instead of living the
life of a crow for a hundred years scavenging off others, it is far better to
live a few moments as a swan, with an untainted name and an unblemished
character. The Gita extols such a sterling soul whose life is replete with
goodness.

Good actions are far more important than physical strength. A body that is not
being used to serve others is nothing but a dead body. Use your body in the
service of mankind, not just for the purpose of catering to your own selfish
needs. Today, whatever man does, thinks or utters is primarily prompted by
selfishness. In order to overcome this tendency, you have to constantly seek
opportunities to help others and develop the principle of service. In this
process, by your good actions, all of humanity will get sanctified. It is very
difficult to obtain birth as a human being. You must spend some time thinking
over how to properly utilize this rare life that has been given to you and
develop good habits which will overcome these weaknesses of desire and anger
that waste your golden chance.

Replacing Bad Habits With Good Habits

How do you best overcome the deeply ingrained bad habits and replace them with
good habits? Consider a small example.
One day a beautiful dog happens to come to your house; you do not know to whom
it belongs. It is such an attractive thing, in order to keep it there for some
time and enjoy its presence, you give it a little food. Next day it comes about
the same time, and again you feed it and enjoy having it visit you. In this way
it comes back every day to get fed, and gradually over a period of time,
attachment increases and this dog now regularly visits your house, spending more
and more time there. One day you find that it will no longer leave; it just
continues to live at your house from that time on.

But the happiness that you enjoy in looking at physical beauty does not last
very long. Once the beauty is no longer accompanied by joy, it becomes obnoxious
to you. In the case of this dog, you soon get tired of having it around all the
time, and so you look for a way to get rid of it.

To begin with you must ask yourself why that dog has attached itself to you and
is now living in the house. The reason is that right from the very beginning you
have been feeding it regularly every day; you have also been stroking it,
playing with it, and paying so much attention to it. It is this repeated daily
practice which has created the attachment between yourself and the dog. Now you
must develop a new regular practice, which will break this attachment and help
you to get rid of the dog. For this the best method is to reverse the original
process that created the attachment and made the object so dear to you.

Steady Practice Is the Key To All Accomplishments in Life

In the case of the dog, if no food is given for some days and everyone is
indifferent to it, paying no attention to it whatsoever, then soon, of its own
accord, the dog will go away. Therefore, it is the practice that is important.
It is through practice that you have developed certain attachments and
undesirable qualities, and it is through practice that you can change them. The
Gita has said that for everything practice is the starting point. In the 12th
verse of the chapter on devotion, it says, "Through practice you will be able to
get knowledge, through knowledge you will be able to develop meditation, through
meditation you will develop sacrifice, and only when you have sacrifice will you
obtain peace of mind." Therefore, it all starts with steady practice.

For many births, you have been enamored with beauty and you have engaged
yourself in desire and anger until these passions have struck deep roots in your
heart. Now you have become a slave of your desires. Mere words will not be
enough to get rid of them. After having practiced attachment for so long, these
negative qualities have developed such strong roots, that even if you were to
cut them off at the surface, they would sprout up again and again. When desires
have become an integral part of you, it is only by reversing the process and
practicing detachment and renunciation that you will be able to get rid of these
deeply ingrained pests.
In the beginning, desires are extremely attractive and sweet. After some time
you develop a disgust for them; but then it is already quite difficult, in fact,
almost impossible to get rid of them. Therefore, it is best if right from the
very beginning you develop renunciation and detachment as part of your nature
and give no place or importance to desires. Unless you have such an attitude of
sacrifice and a capacity to resist desires, you will not be ready to receive the
grace of God.

A bullock or a horse which cannot be controlled, a car without brakes, or a life

which is not based on control of the senses, are all dangerous. Control of the
senses is very important. You need to tightly control the tendencies of the mind
to go off in all directions, running after desires. Mind and senses must be kept
in check within limited bounds. Even happiness which exceeds certain limits can
be harmful. For everything there is a limit, there is a range of healthy
functioning.

Keeping the Senses Within Their Normal Limits

The normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit; if it goes up even one
degree there will be a disease in progress. Only when it is within the
appropriate level does it indicate a healthy body. In the same way, your blood
pressure is normal when it is 120 over 80. If the blood pressure goes up to 150
over 90 it indicates an abnormal condition in the body, which may be indicative
of an illness. Similarly, the heart beat should be around 75; if it increases an
ailment will be in progress.

The same is also true for your senses. There is a range of light that is
appropriate to healthy functioning of the eyes. If the light is too bright the
eyes cannot see and will be harmed. This is true, as well, in the case of the
ears; there is a proper range of sound. If the level of sound exceeds that
range, such as may happen close to an airplane, a train or a loudspeaker, the
hearing will become impaired. Like this, all the senses are limited to a normal
range of operation.

We see that life functions a lot like a limited company in the business world.
If you want to carry on unlimited business with this limited company then you
will be subject to a great deal of distress. Therefore, you have to impose
restrictions on your behavior, and spend your life acting always within certain
prescribed limits. This can also be called discipline. Discipline is
particularly necessary for the spiritual progress of an individual. Without
discipline a person is likely to become nothing but an animal. But discipline,
too, has to be exercised within limits. There is even a need to regulate your
discipline if you are to enjoy life. You see that for everything there is a
limit and a boundary. If you stay within these limits you will not be troubled
by life.

The Gita has taught that desire and anger are the primary obstacles to
liberation, so it is vitally important that they be curbed. You need to take
proper notice of these two dreadful enemies of man and develop complete control
over them. These enemies are not external to you; they are your inner enemies.
If you are defeated by your inner enemies, how can you ever hope to conquer your
external ones? Once you keep desire and anger under firm check you will be able
to defeat your outer enemies quite easily. The Gita has shown that the way to
conquer desire and anger is by saturating your life with renunciation, sacrifice
and love.

Eleventh Chapter
TRUE RENUNCIATION - FOCUS ON GOD, NOT THE WORLD

If you want to reach the Lord and have a vision of him, the most important
quality that you need to develop is detachment. Detachment endows you with the
capacity to internalize your vision. Detachment allows you to introvert your
mind and dwell on your inner beauty.

Embodiments of Love,
Once you recognize the defects and weaknesses in the objects of the world you
soon lose your desire to possess them. The mind is very strong and fickle. It is
also very obstinate. It is forever determined to get its way. Arjuna prayed to
Krishna for help in controlling his mind. He lamented, "O Lord, the mind is very
powerful and wayward." Krishna replied, "Arjuna, if you practice detachment you
will certainly be able to control your mind."

Control of the Mind

The mind can be compared to a poplar tree. The poplar leaves are always shaking
whether there is a wind or not. Similarly, the mind is always unsteady and
wavering. In addition to its wavering quality the mind is also strong and
stubborn. Take for example an elephant. It is very strong and it can be quite
cruel, too. However with the help of a goad you can bring it under control.
Likewise, the horse is rarely still. It is always moving its limbs, its ears,
its head or its tail. Being unsteady, it will first go one way and then another.
But with a bit, it can be controlled and made to go in the direction that the
rider wants.

Another example is the monkey, which roams here and there, the very picture of
unsteadiness and fickleness. But with training, it too can be brought under
control. Therefore, just as with a goad you can control an elephant which may be
very cruel and strong, just as with a bit you can control a horse which is
nervous and unstable, just as with training even a monkey can be controlled, in
the same way the mind, which is also strong and fickle, can be controlled by
detachment and constant practice.

Detachment
True detachment; means realizing the temporary nature of objects and not
allowing your mind to get attached to these transient things. It does not
necessarily mean that you feel disgust or hatred for them. It means that you
feel no mental attachment towards them. Totally giving up all the objects of the
phenomenal world is not possible. However, you can give up your my-ness, your
sense of possessiveness. Once you give that up, then you can go ahead and enjoy
the various objects of the world. They will cause you no harm.

In the phenomenal world, every thing, every person and every object undergoes
change. The world consists of six types of change: birth, growth, maturity,
decline, degeneration and death. These are the changes to which all objects are
subjected. To delude yourself into thinking that this transient impermanent
world is permanent and become attached to the objects in it is very foolish
indeed.

In the temple of Vishnu you will see statues and pictures of Garuda, the eagle.
Similarly, in the temple of Shiva you will find statues and pictures of Nandi,
the bull. And, in the temple of Rama, you will see a portrayal of Hanuman, the
monkey. In all these depictions the concentration of each of these beings,
Nandi, Garuda and Hanuman, is on the feet of the Lord; they see only the Lord,
not the world. All of these demonstrate the right kind of attachment. Their
attachment is to the Lord who is permanent. And their detachment is from the
world which is transient. The significance of all these symbolic representations
is that you should not care much for what is transient, but always concentrate
and dwell on the permanent entity, which is the Lord himself.

Once you recognize the defects of objects, their transitoriness and

impermanence, then you will gradually lose your desire to have them. There are a
number of stories which show how emperors who had a lot of wealth at their
disposal and possessed all the luxuries and properties one could dream of, did
not derive much joy or peace of mind from them. In order to get peace of mind
they would go to the forest and perform penance. From this they ultimately
derived the satisfaction and inner solace for which they had been yearning.

Make the Best Use of Every Object

Detachment involves more than just recognizing the defects and weaknesses in
objects which results from their transitory nature. Detachment also involves the
positive quality of getting the most out of the objects of the world. You should
always strive to make the best use of an object and appreciate it for what it
is. There is no point in just dwelling on the limitation and sorrow that objects
of the world produce, but you should know to properly use objects to perform
your duty in the world. Then you will acquire some satisfaction. In the larger
sense, it is really giving up worldly sorrow and gaining the bliss of the
supreme self that is true detachment. Giving up family, wife, children and
properties and then going to the forest cannot be called detachment. Detachment
is recognizing the weak aspects in the nature of the objects, as well as
accepting their positive and strong points.

Whenever you get into difficulty, whether physical, mental, financial or any
other type of problem, you may develop a sense of detachment towards the objects
causing this state. This is quite natural. For example, suppose a person dies
and his body is taken to the burning ground where it is cremated. When you look
at such a situation you develop a particular type of detachment, philosophizing
that the body has to come to an end some time or another. But this detachment is
only a temporary phenomenon, a temporary feeling; it cannot be considered true
detachment.

Another example is when a mother is delivering her first baby. Not being able to
suffer the pain, she shouts that she would rather die. This also is not true
detachment. As soon as the baby is born, suppose she has a girl, she immediately
wants to get a boy the next time. A similar situation develops when someone does
not get his wishes fulfilled. Here also he develops a certain type of
detachment. All these attitudes are temporary. Permanent detachment is something
quite different.

Permanent detachment is an intense detachment, as opposed to dull or weak

detachment. For example, a person may have resolved to go on a pilgrimage to one
of the holy places in India, but then there may be a strong tendency to postpone
it to the next month. If it is a matter of doing something good such as going on
a pilgrimage, one will tend to postpone it. On the other hand, if it is a matter
of doing something bad, one prefers to do it right on the spot, without wasting
any time. People usually will not make very great efforts to perform good deeds.
This may be seen as a type of weak detachment which tends to postpone
implementing good resolutions and performing good actions. But such behavior
will not help you to reach your spiritual goal. It is intense detachment which
is essential for progress on the spiritual path.

Harischandra and Buddha

If you decide that a particular activity is good and sacred, you should not
postpone it. You should immediately implement it and see to it that this good
action is successfully carried out. This was the royal path laid down for all by
the Buddha. Once Gautama Buddha realized that the body was impermanent, that
none of the worldly things were going to last, he resolved to seek out and
discover the unchanging truth. He gave up his family and his kingdom and went
into the forest to realize the ultimate reality.

There was another great ruler who had an intense sense of sacrifice and
detachment. His name was Harischandra. Although he was an emperor, through a
series of unfortunate circumstances he lost everything he had in the world, his
kingdom, his wife and family, and spent his days as caretaker of a cremation
ground.

One day, when Harischandra first started performing his duties in the cremation
ground, the corpse of a rich man was brought there by a large number of friends.
They brought the body, set it on fire and immediately went back to their homes.
Usually when a body is set on fire, a little weight is put on it. Otherwise, as
soon as the heat comes, the body bends as if it was getting up, and then lies
down again. Only Harischandra remained in the burning ground that day. No
friends or relatives of the dead man stayed behind to keep a watch on the body.
Harischandra went to get a little more fuel to put on the fire. Suddenly he saw
the body lift itself up. He was surprised and went near it to have a closer
look.

As Harischandra approached the pyre, he noticed that the body had by itself
returned to a prone position. For an instant he thought that it was still alive
as if sitting up to look for its relatives and friends, but then he realized
that the whole episode was just a momentary illusion of a corpse appearing
alive, caused by the heat of the fire. Harischandra thought to himself, "In the
same way that I mistook this corpse to be alive, I thought this world to be
real. But it is unreal, it gives only an illusion of reality."

Harischandra lamented that such a wealthy man whose corpse was brought there had
no relatives or friends to stay with his body until the end. He thought,
whatever may be the position and the riches of a person, not even his wife or
children retain any attachment to him after his death. As a result of this
experience, Harischandra developed an intense detachment towards the objects and
forms of the world.

Worldly Attachments Are Like Poison

Every day, at every time, there will be changes occurring in all the objects of
creation. These changes are not artificial, they are not imaginary, they are
natural and inherent in the very nature of the objects. Once you recognize that
the world is basically a stage for the continuous natural occurrence of changes,
and that change is inherent in the very nature of the objects of the world, then
you will become free from suffering. Anyone who realizes that there is a lethal
toxin contained in the fangs of a poisonous snake will not casually go near it.
If you see an approaching scorpion with its poisonous tail held up, ready to
strike, would you not run away from it? Only a small, innocent child or a
totally ignorant person would go near it, get stung and die.

You make every effort to avoid a poisonous creature because you know its harmful
nature. In the same way, you would make every effort to avoid worldly
attachments if you knew their harmful nature. The Lord taught in the Gita, that
instead of undergoing all the sufferings that go with developing attachments and
then getting disillusioned when the inevitable changes begin to happen, it would
be far better from the very beginning to remain unattached towards the things
and objects of the world. But now you go on planning many things and attaching
yourself to many things in order to gain some short-term joys. You exhaust
yourself thinking and planning, "I should do this, I should do that" or "I
should do this instead of that" and get yourself involved in countless projects
and activities. But you will have to bear the consequences of all these actions
in the future.

The seeds you have sown by your actions will mature and you will reap the
harvest of those seeds. If the seed belongs to one variety, you cannot expect to
get back a different kind of result. Whatever acts you have indulged in, the
appropriate fruits thereof will be given to you in the form of an invisible
garland which is hung around your neck. When you are born from the womb of your
mother, no garland can be seen. Neither a garland of pearls nor one of precious
gemstones nor a necklace of gold will be visible around your neck. Nevertheless,
there surely is a garland there. That garland is composed of the consequences of
your past deeds which you have performed during your previous births. That
garland given to you by the Creator will adorn your neck, although it will not
be seen by the physical eyes.

The person who recognizes the truth, that for every action there will be a
resulting consequence, will take up only good activities and will spend his life
indulging only in actions that will earn him good results. This has been taught
by the Gita as a spiritual exercise of particular importance to devotees. It
leads eventually to developing indifference and detachment to the things of the
world, and it results in the acquisition of true wisdom. Here is an example
which illustrates this illusory nature of the world and the detachment you
should have to it.

King Janaka's Dream

King Janaka; had acquired extraordinary proficiency in the knowledge of God. He
was called "the king devoid of body". In other words, he had been able to
transcend body-consciousness. One particular night after dinner, he was
discussing certain administrative problems with his ministers. He got back to
his bedroom a little late. A meal had been set out for him but he did not touch
it. He relaxed on a sofa while the queen massaged his feet. Soon the king fell
asleep. The queen asked the various attendants present to leave the room and
made sure that the king, who was extremely tired, would not be disturbed in his
sleep. She covered him with a blanket and banked the light low, quietly
remaining by his side.

Shortly afterwards, King Janaka quite suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, looked
around incredulously at his surroundings, and in a most peculiar way began to
ask, "Is this real or is that real? Is this the truth or is that the truth?"
The queen became a little frightened by his bewildered look and strange
question. She tried to find out what exactly he was asking, but he would not
explain or answer any of her queries. He just went on saying, "Is this the truth
or is that the truth?" She called for the ministers, counselors and other
important officials. They all assembled and began questioning the king.

"Maharaja, what is your doubt? What exactly are you asking?" But the Maharaja
would not respond to them. Finally the ministers brought the great Sage
Vashishta to the court. Vashishta asked the king, "What are you asking? What is
troubling you?" The king was replying to all the questions with the same query,
"Is that the truth or is this the truth? Is this reality or is that reality?"
Sage Vashishta being omniscient closed his eyes and meditated for a while to
find out the cause of the king's strange behavior. Vashishta realized that the
king had suddenly awakened from a vivid dream in which he had forfeited his
kingdom and found himself wandering lost, alone and despondent in a forest. He
was feeling very hungry and also very tired and forsaken. As he wandered through
that forest he kept shouting, "I am hungry, I am hungry." It happened that there
were some robbers in that forest. Those robbers were just sitting down in a
glade nearby to have their meal, eating from plates made of leaves. Taking pity
on him, the robbers made themselves known and invited Janaka to join them,
offering him a portion of their meal.

Just at that moment, a tiger came upon them and they all ran for their lives.
The tiger helped himself to all the food. Again Janaka found himself staggering
through the forest crying out, "O, I am so hungry. I am so very hungry." When he
woke up he discovered he was in a palace, on a royal sofa by the side of the
queen, with a silver tray filled with luxurious food and dainties sitting on the
table nearby, and he began asking whether he was the starving, forsaken wretch
begging food from robbers in a fearful forest or whether he was a king living in
a sumptuous palace surrounded by all possible luxuries. "Is this true or is that
true? Is this real or is that real?"

Maharishi Vashishta immediately recognized the king's confusion and said, "King
Janaka, neither beggar nor emperor is real. You alone are real. You, yourself,
are the truth. The you who was present as pure consciousness in the dream state
playing the role of the beggar and who is present in the waking state playing
the role of the king, this you who witnessed both these states, is your true
reality. Life during the daytime is a day-dream, during the night it is a night-
dream. They are both illusions. They are filled with defects and flaws because
they constantly change from one thing to another; so they cannot be real. Only
you who remain unchanged in all these states are real, free of all change and
illusion."

This was also emphasized in the Gita, where Krishna pointed out the important
truth that the world is constantly changing and that the atma alone is real and
ever unchanging.

The Anguish of Separation from God

Detachment does not mean leaving behind everything to go to the forest and adopt
the life of a renunciate. Penance does not refer to certain postures or bodily
deprivations. Penance refers to the intense anguish you experience when you feel
yourself separated from God. Whenever that anguish of separation is with you,
wherever you may be, then you are engaged in penance. All worldly experiences
are governed by combinations of the three attributes, inertia or chaos, action
or reaction, and rhythm or calm. The anguish of penance with its intense
aspiration for reaching God, takes you into a state of being which transcends
these three worldly qualities. At that time, you will experience a deep inner
serenity and unity of thought, word and deed.

Thought, word and deed are the causes of karma. They are called the instruments
of action. It is the union of these three instruments of action which may be
described as penance. When that union is complete there follows an ineffable
joy, which is the very bliss of the atma. So true penance is the point at which
the three instruments of action merge together into one and you experience the
eternal delight of your immortal self.

Consider the following example. Every day you enjoy the benefits of electricity.
In your room you may have an electric fan. There are three blades attached to
the motor of the fan. If they were to rotate in three different directions you
would not get much of a breeze. But when they rotate in unison, as if there were
a single blade going around, then you can enjoy a very good flow of air from the
fan. So, enjoyment of the cool breeze comes only when all the three blades are
working together and rotate as one. In the very same way, when the three
instruments of action, thought, word and deed, merge together and work as one,
you can enjoy real bliss.

In this illustration your heart may be compared to the room containing the fan.
The three instruments of action may be compared to the three blades of the fan.
Your intellect may be thought of as the electric switch. Your spiritual power,
the energy emanating from the supreme self, may be thought of as the electricity
that energizes the fan. Your spiritual practice is the process of clarifying
your intellect, and thereby turning on the switch. When the three instruments of
action work together in harmony, just as the three blades of the fan go around
together, then all your anguish becomes transformed into bliss. In this way, you
can convert your life-force and your entire spiritual power into bliss.

True Renunciation Is Turning Your Mind Towards God

Mankind has forgotten the ability to perform penance. When you let your vision
roam in the temporary and transient world, your spiritual path spirals downward
into inertia and stasis. When you concentrate your vision and your awareness on
the permanent God, then you are practicing penance and your spiritual progress
leaps ahead. If a door is locked and you want to open it, you must put the key
inside the lock and turn it towards the right. Then it will open. But if you
turn the key to the left, the lock remains closed. It is the same lock and the
same key. The difference is in the way you turn the key. Your heart is that lock
and your mind the key. If you turn your mind towards God, you get liberation. If
you turn it towards the objective world, you remain in bondage. It is the same
mind that is responsible for both liberation and bondage.

True renunciation is turning your mind towards God. It means constantly bringing
your mind back from other thoughts to dwell on the permanent entity. Such mental
detachment and sacrifice must be developed into a very intense feeling. You
should not keep on postponing the practice to the next day, and then the day
following that, and so on.

Suppose you expect to go to a marriage; you would keep certain clothes ready
several days before the occasion. Or suppose you had a chance to go to the
movies; then you will get ready very fast. Even for just going for a walk you
make yourself ready in a trice. Well, if you cannot go to the cinema today you
can easily postpone it to another day. If you do not go for a walk now you can
always go another time. But the Lord's journey cannot be postponed or canceled.
You must always be ready to accept whatever comes your way. Time waits for no
one. Time does not follow man. Man has to follow time. Time flows on
continuously and takes everything with it.

The Gita teaches you that you may enjoy the various objects of the world, but
while enjoying them you should not get yourself attached to them, thinking that
you possess them. This feeling of renunciation or detachment is one of the most
essential aspects of the spiritual philosophy propounded in the Gita.

Twelfth Chapter

DETACHMENT - UNIFYING THOUGHTS, WORDS & DEEDS

For the wheel of existence, the mind is the focal point, the central hub from
which all worldly activities emerge. To be able to penetrate this focal point
and obtain a vision of the immortal self that is beyond, you must cultivate the
practice of non-attachment. Make every effort to develop this most important
discipline.

Embodiments of Love,
Renunciation or detachment can also be thought of as non-attachment. Non-
attachment is when the mind and the senses become unaffected by the objects of
the world and remain indifferent to their attraction and repulsion. The mind
covers the true self; therefore, the mind can be described as a veil. It is a
veil of ignorance, for it hides your true self and keeps you unaware of its
magnificent presence within you. But, the mind, itself, is tied down by the
sense organs, and the sense organs are attracted to the objects of the
phenomenal world, and get bound by them. Therefore, the first step in realizing
your true self is to gain control over your sense organs. For this, the practice
of non-attachment is essential.

Detachment Leads to Self-Realization

Once you are free of attachment to the sense objects, then the sense organs will
no longer be able to bind your mind. A mind unencumbered by the senses becomes
pure and transparent. It no longer imposes its covering influence over the atma.
When the veil of the mind dissolves, your true self becomes aware of itself.
Then you are immersed in the unity of all existence and enjoy the bliss which is
your true nature. The Gita has taught that non-attachment is crucial for
realizing your true self. That true self is the one supreme self.

Detachment or non-attachment has also been emphasized in the yoga classic of

Patanjali, a great seer of ancient India. He taught that detachment is the
natural property of a mind which remains unswayed by the sense organs and the
objects which attract them. Such a mind, being free from the slavery of the
sense organs and sense objects, is pure and unaffected by delusion. You gain a
pure mind when you see all the objects of this world as transient and changing.
The ancient wisdom teachings have declared that from the lowest creature in the
phenomenal world to the highest, right up to the heavenly beings, everything is
ephemeral and undergoing change. Knowing this, you should relinquish all
attachments to sense objects. Any attachment will gradually but steadily lead to
bondage.

Just as removing the firewood from the fire automatically extinguished the
flame, removing the sense objects from the senses automatically renders them
impotent. The wisdom teachings have stressed in a most forceful way that only
that person who does not care for anything less than full realization of the
supreme self, is a person of true renunciation. Neither objects of the world nor
even the heavenly abode of the Lord could sway him from his one-pointed focus.

There is a story related in one of the ancient wisdom teachings about a very
wise young boy, who, because of an oath made by his father, found himself in the
realm of death. The god of death tried to win over the boy. He said to him, "I
will give you complete mastery and lordship over all the wealth and all the
power of the world, and I will give you all the pleasures of the heavenly
world." But the boy replied, "This world and all the worlds beyond are but
transient; they will not last. I do not want anything to do with that which
comes and goes. I only want to have the vision of the supreme self. I want to
realize the ultimate truth, that which never changes. The world with its bondage
and all the sorrow that goes with it is for the person who is swayed by the
objects of the senses. They do not interest me in the least."

Attachment to Objects Which You Think Belong to You

Let us suppose that you have been living in a particular house for a long time.
One day you have to shift to another dwelling. You pack all your belongings and
put them in a conveyance and bring them to the new house. Now, it is a common
experience that you even go to the extent of wrapping the worn out slippers and
the old broomsticks in newspapers to carry them with you because you think that
they belong to you. What is the reason for this attitude? The reason is that you
have become bound by your attachments to the sense objects. You have so much
interest in packing up all those old things and taking them with you because you
are attached to them. You feel they are yours.

But then, consider another example, that of a college principal or the

headmaster of a school. In every educational institution there will be a number
of valuable articles. For instance, in the lab there will be some highly
valuable equipment, many tables, chairs, other items of furniture, a wall clock
and so on. When the headmaster of that school retires or is transferred, he
feels no attachment to these things. And so he leaves with the same free mind
that he had when he came. He does not worry and bother himself about leaving
behind all those valuable articles when he goes. The reason is that he knows
perfectly well that none of those things belong to him. They belong to the
management or to the school trust or to the government. Therefore, with a sense
of detachment and indifference to those objects he leaves the school.

Where there is a sense of my-ness and possessiveness, there will be suffering.

If you do not have that feeling of possessiveness you will not be bound by
anything and will not suffer. Therefore, for all bondage, suffering and sorrow,
it is just the I-ness or my-ness that is responsible. Like the school principal,
you may make use of all the objects that you find in the world. Do not give up
the objects themselves, and do not give up your actions and activities. Just
give up the attachment that you have towards the objects and give up the
attachment that you have towards the world and your activities in it.

Give Up the Fruits of Your Actions

Another way of saying this is, give up the fruits of your actions. Perform your
duty with a sense of complete detachment, realizing the defects in the objects.
Once you understand the underlying laws that govern the world and recognize the
defects that are inherent in both the objects of the world and the relationships
you have in the world, you will quickly be able to overcome the attachments you
have towards them.

Before you were born, who was the parent and who was the child? Before marriage,
who was the husband and who was the wife? Only after birth was there a parent
and a child. Before birth there was no such relationship and after death there
will be no such relationship. It is only during the short transitional period
in-between that the feeling of possessiveness and attachment arises. This is all
due to defects in your vision and defects in your approach. It comes from a
narrow-minded, short-sighted attitude. For all your sorrows, it is your feelings
and attitudes alone that are responsible. Once you recognize the defects in
objects and relationships you will have no desire to possess them.

Try to understand the principle of detachment. You must reach a state in which
you do not have any kind of attachment and bondage even during the dream and
deep sleep states. If you encourage a sense of attachment during the waking
state, it will also be there in a subtle form during the dream state and the
deep-sleep state. The dream state may be compared to a reflection in the mirror.
Whatever you experience in the waking state will impress itself into the dream
state, and will be seen as a reflection there. Therefore, the waking and dream
states are something like the object and its image. If in the waking state you
take the right path, recognizing truth and conducting yourself in the light of
this truth, then you will be treading the right path even in the dream state. To
succeed you have to recognize the defects of the sense objects and overcome them
by giving up your attachment to them.

Everything Undergoes Change

Because of the passage of time everything undergoes change. Food which is
freshly cooked today is tasty and delicious. While it is fresh, its potentiality
for giving strength and health are very good. But the very same articles of food
become toxic after a lapse of two days. Whatever food you consider to be good,
to be useful, to be healthy and beneficial, will after a period of time change
into something bad, something useless, something unhealthy and harmful. These
changes are unavoidable.

In the context of change, you can also see the four types of devotees: the one
who is afflicted and seeks relief from pain and suffering, the one who seeks
material boons and prosperity, the one who seeks spiritual knowledge, and the
wise one. Over a period of time the very same person is likely to progress
through all these stages.

We can also consider the changes that occur in the course of a lifetime.
Immediately after birth the new-born is called a baby; after a few years it is
described as a child; twenty years later the same person is considered an adult;
and after another 30 years it will have become a grandparent. These are not four
different people. It is the same person all the time, but because of the passage
of time different names are given, in accordance with the different stages of
life that the individual is passing through.

A human being's life, which is most difficult to obtain, undergoes many changes
as time goes by. When this is true for human beings, then how much more must it
be true for all the other beings and objects of the world? If you ask what is
the greatest defect in a human being, you will find that it is the changes which
occur in one's physical being. Whether good or bad, these changes cannot be
avoided. As changes are inherent in everything in the phenomenal world, you
should not develop any attachment or any sense of my-ness for anything or
anyone.

Who is the father? Who is the mother? Who are the children? Who are the family
members? Who are the friends? These are all changing forms. You cannot answer
these questions for all time. As you become aware of all these changes that are
constantly occurring in all these relationships, then how can you develop any
attachment to them? The Gita has taught that one has to recognize all the
changes that come about with time as fundamental defects and flaws. Therefore,
develop complete detachment from the defective forms which are experiencing
these changes. They have no permanence.

Constant Practice
Detachment or non-attachment is the first important discipline that should be
undertaken. The second is constant practice. What kind of practice can be called
constant? One kind is austerity or penance. The moment people hear this word
austerity they get a little frightened. They inevitably associate austerity with
going into the forest, eating whatever fruits and roots are available there and
exposing themselves to all kinds of risks and sufferings. Truly speaking, that
is not austerity; that is just putting the body through some suffering and
punishment.
It is not the body that must undergo the suffering, but the mind. The mind tends
towards either sloth and chaos or endless activity, and is filled with the sense
of doership and possessiveness. Austerity is putting such a mind with all these
negative tendencies that cling to it, through real torture, until all these
tendencies let go their hold. Austerity also means removing the defects that are
inherent in the sense organs. This is the real austerity. There are three types
of austerity. One is the physical austerity of the body, the second one is the
vocal austerity of the tongue and the third is mental austerity of the mind.

The Three Austerities, Physical, Vocal and Mental

Physical austerity ;refers to using the body to perform good actions, which
includes worshipping the Lord and expressing your sense of gratitude by serving
great souls. If you earn their grace, the selfish aspects of I-ness and my-ness
will slowly get reduced. Once these negative qualities decline, then
automatically positive qualities and actions will develop. At that point, you
will naturally be attracted to the company of like-minded spiritual beings and
be inspired to study the Gita and other sacred texts.

In addition to this, you will undertake charity for education, for medicine and
hospitals, for poor feedings and other good causes. And just as, traditionally,
the different types of charities such as giving away gold and cows and land were
the means for using the body in sacred activities, so also you will now be using
your body in a sacred way. Since you will not be doing any harmful or prohibited
activities, you will not put yourself under the spell of the sense of doership
and possessiveness. You will free yourself from bondage to these two qualities.
All of this can be described as bodily penance.

Vocal penance is the use of good and noble words. Even when you speak the truth
you should not be severe or sharp-tongued. You must be careful not to hurt
anyone. In this context, the Gita has said that truth must be sweet and
nonviolent. Use the sacred tongue which has been given to you for giving joy and
delight to others and for helping them. Do not give any suffering to another's
mind. Use your thoughts to help you concentrate and think of the Lord. Use your
tongue to describe all the glorious attributes of the Lord. Use words which are
highly helpful to others. Use your talk to show the right path to others.
Explain to others all the great and good spiritual experiences that you have
had. Correct people if they are going on the wrong path by using good words and
a sweet tongue. Make sure that no amount of falsehood enters your heart, or
enters your talk. This is the way to become an adept of truth and nonviolence.

Better Be Quiet Than Tell An Untruth

If you are following the path of truth there may be quite a few problems that
you will encounter. A particular sage performing penance had taken an oath to
take the path of truth and nonviolence, come what may. A cruel hunter who heard
of this tried to induce the sage to break his vow. The hunter pursued a deer and
drove it in such a way that it had to pass in front of the sage, immersed in his
austerities. The sage saw the deer hiding in the bush. The hunter came running
and asked the sage, "Have you seen a deer passing this way?" The sage was in
great conflict. If he told the truth he would cause harm to the deer, but if he
did not tell the truth he would be breaking his vow. On the one hand, he would
commit the sin of causing harm to another being, and on the other hand, he would
commit the sin of lying.

The sage found a very good way of dealing with this dilemma. He answered the
hunter's query in a somewhat enigmatic way. He said, "The eyes which see cannot
speak and the mouth which speaks cannot see. I cannot make that which has seen
speak, and that which can speak see. That is the truth." Even in such difficult
situations one should not tell an untruth, but one may not be able to tell the
truth either. When you are engaged in the vocal type of austerity, difficult
situations of this kind may arise. You should make every effort to see to it
that you escape without uttering any falsehood. Whatever be the circumstances,
do not tell a lie. If you cannot tell the truth then it is best for you to keep
quiet and observe silence, rather than uttering an untruth.

Consider the third austerity, the mental austerity. In this type of austerity
you will have to develop good qualities and virtues. Whatever thoughts may be
flashing through your mind, your face will show the reflection of them. That is
why it is said that the face is the index of the mind. All thoughts will be
reflected on your face. If you are grief-stricken mentally, your face will
reflect that state. If there are sacred thoughts in your mind your face will be
very cheerful. The effect of the mind and its thoughts can easily be seen in
this way.

Only when you have sacred thoughts, sacred feelings and sacred ideas in your
mind, will you be able to live a happy and cheerful life. If there are bad
thoughts torturing you, then whenever somebody comes and talks to you, even if
you try to smile, your smile will be artificial and it will betray the disturbed
inner state in your heart. You should not allow yourself to be driven to such a
state. Always keep yourself happy. When will you be happy and joyous? Only when
your thoughts are good and sacred. In order to have such good and sacred
thoughts in your mind you should exercise control over your thoughts.

Every Day Observe A Period Of Silence

At least for a few hours a day you should observe silence. Then the mind will
get some rest from words and thought waves. Repetition of the holy name and
concentration on the Lord can also be practiced to give some rest to the mind.
Repetition of the name and thinking of the Lord brings about both inner and
outer purity. Just as you bathe your body every day and transform it into a
clean outer vehicle, the mind, too, has to be given a regular purification bath
to renew its freshness and sacredness. Now you are concerned mostly with
physical cleanliness, but you must also engage in mental cleanliness, which is
equally essential to life. Good thoughts, good feelings and good actions go a
long way to bring about inner cleanliness.

Austerity truly means bringing about a physical, vocal and mental unity by
letting actions words and thoughts become one. This is the real austerity. A
great soul is one who has been able to enjoy the unity of all these three
attributes. If the thoughts, the words, and the actions are different, then a
person cannot be considered a great person.

Worldly experiences are governed by combinations of the three attributes. Of

these, inertia and chaos give rise to a slothful nature, action and reaction
give rise to an active, passionate nature, and rhythm or calm gives rise to a
pure, harmonious nature. Austerity refers to transforming the first of these
two, the slothful and passionate natures, into the pure, calm, harmonious
nature. This can be brought about by controlling sloth with the help of the
passionate nature and then by controlling passion with the help of the pure calm
nature. In this way you can enjoy the harmony of all three natures, being joined
together as one. Ultimately, when all your actions, words and deeds have become
totally unified, you will have overcome all worldly attributes and you will be
free even from the limitations of the pure calm nature.

For example, suppose you have stepped on a thorn. If you want to remove the
thorn from your foot there is no need to look for a special instrument. Another
thorn is sufficient to remove the first one. Then you can throw both thorns
away. In the same way, the two lower natures which have been giving you so much
trouble, can be removed with the help of the thorn of the calm pure nature.
Until you have removed these two lower qualities, you need the calm quality. The
calm quality may be described as a golden chain, the passionate quality as a
copper chain and the slothful quality as an iron one. All three chains bind you
in the same way. The value of the metal of the chain may be different, but they
all bind nevertheless.

Free Yourself From All Bondage

If an individual is bound by a golden chain, will he be happy in that situation?
No! Bondage remains bondage, be it from a chain made of gold or one made of
copper or iron. So, even a pure, calm nature causes bondage, and in the end you
have to get rid of this also. You must free yourself from all bondage. But until
you reach divinity you need the pure, calm, harmonious quality. Once you merge
in the Lord, there are no more distinguishing qualities of any kind. In that
state the question of the three qualities does not arise at all. When you have
offered up everything and become one with the Lord you rise above these
attributes and become totally free of all chains.

The Gita has taught that in order to control the mind, constant practice and
renunciation, are essential. Practice does not refer to just the observance of
daily religious rituals. Practice means using the body, using the tongue and
using the mind in such a way that you do not develop attachment. Practice means
orienting your whole life towards the one goal of reaching the divinity. Every
word you utter, every thought you think and every deed you perform should be
pure and associated with truth. This is the essence of all austerities. Truth
and purity are the real instruments for success on the spiritual path. My wish
is that you develop these noble qualities and thereby sanctify your life.

Thirteenth Chapter

TIME WASTED IS LIFE WASTED

The Lord declared in the Gita, "Whoever remembers me is very dear to me."
Therefore, remember the Lord always. Offer him your mind and your will.
Surrender everything to him and you will quickly reach him."

Embodiments of Love,
In the Gita the Lord taught that joy and sorrow, cold and heat, profit and loss,
criticism and praise, must all be faced with an equal mind. This equanimity of
mind is one of the most important attributes of a true devotee. There are many
other attributes of a true devotee, but these are all contained in two principal
qualities: discipline and renunciation. Discipline refers to the three types of
penance: bodily penance, mental penance and vocal penance. Renunciation refers
to understanding the defects in objects, and living a life which does not get
attached to these things; in other words, living as a witness. If you can
incorporate these two important qualities, discipline and renunciation in your
daily life, then there will be no need for any other spiritual practice.

Start Your Spiritual Practice When You Are Young

If you want to develop these two qualities you have to start in your childhood
and use this early period of your life in a sacred and ennobling way. In the
world today many people undertake spiritual practice only when they reach old
age. After they have thoroughly enjoyed the objects of luxury and have become
disgusted and exhausted by worldly pleasures, they consider embarking on the
spiritual path. Having spent their lives concentrating on sense objects, on
family life, on children, on wealth, on properties, on name and fame, they
become disillusioned in old age. They realize that there is nothing true in
these things and that peace of mind and lasting joy cannot come from the
phenomenal world and from worldly pursuits. After they come into the evening of
their lives and are haunted by the emptiness of their experiences, they begin to
do spiritual exercises.

But in old age, when you are suffering from all sorts of physical and mental
weaknesses, it will be very difficult to practice and live a rigorous spiritual
life. Even then you should not be discouraged, thinking that there is no
possibility for spiritual advancement in old people. Opportunities for spiritual
experiences are certainly available to them. Instead of not thinking of the Lord
at all, it is far better to think of him, at least in old age. When it comes to
thinking of the Lord, there are no restrictions whatsoever with respect to time,
place or age. That is why the divine teacher has declared in the Gita, "At all
times, in all places, think of me." But he has also declared that the best
opportunity for practicing these spiritual exercises in a determined way is in
your youth. When your physical strength, the strength of your sense organs, and
your mental strength are there in abundance, that is the best time to undertake
spiritual exercises.

The process is something like reserving a plane ticket before embarking on a

journey. When you arrive at the airport, after first having reserved your place,
you are likely to proceed smoothly with your journey. On the other hand, if you
go to the airport only at the last minute, without having a reservation, you may
not get on the plane. It all depends on chance. You may end up having to go by a
slower way or you may have to delay your journey. It is the same way with people
who start thinking about spiritual matters in their old age. They may or may not
be able to advance spiritually in a significant way at that point in their
lives. But if the same individuals had in earnest undertaken spiritual exercises
from an early age, they would be sure to achieve spiritual success in their old
age.

Do Not Waste Your Youth

If you waste your time enjoying the pleasures of life during your youth, wasting
the power of your body and your sense organs, then if you want to reach your
goal of merging with the Lord in your old age, you may not get that chance.
There is no meaning whatsoever in serving delicious food to the demons, and
then, when they have consumed everything worthwhile, offering the leftovers to
God. Do you think that will please God? No! After all your powers and capacities
have been dissipated by the demons of anger, greed, lust and pride, you try to
offer God what little is left. But that offering will not be accepted by him. In
this context, the Gita has emphasized that your youth is a very precious period
which has to be used with great care to advance yourself spiritually.

When you have had something for a long time and taken it for granted, you may
not appreciate its real value. It is only after losing it that you truly
appreciate it. As long as you have your eyes, you do not know the value and the
preciousness of your eyes. You only realize the importance of vision when you
lose your eyesight. In the same way, when you have good health and all your
faculties are in their full glory, you do not understand their true value. After
having lost your health, and when your faculties have become impaired, then you
repent and lament that all your capacities and powers are gone. But lamenting at
that point is useless. During youth you have allowed the bad habits and bad
traits to become your great friends and get deeply rooted within you. You
squandered and misused the capacities that have been given to you, blindly
following your sensual desires. Later, these bad habits and bad traits become
your principal enemies in old age.

Most young people do not use their powers of discrimination properly. They do
not try to sort out who is their true friend and who is their foe. If you follow
only your senses and lower instincts, and have not developed your intelligence
to understand the meaning of life, then is there any reason for calling you a
human being? Should you not be called a mere animal? Once you understand the
significance of human life and fill yourself with the noble qualities of a human
being, your senses will no longer be able to confuse you.

Use Your Body for the Sake of God

These days you are using God for the sake of the body. You are not using your
body to worship God. You pray to God for good health whenever you are sick, but
you are not using all your physical strength and faculties, when you have them,
to worship God. You imagine that there will be plenty of time later on to engage
in worship, and so you go on wasting your time. You think that after retirement
you can begin to take up the contemplation of God and do spiritual exercises.
Perhaps you feel that it is better in the meantime to enjoy life and to enjoy
the objects of the world while you are still young. But how can you start
thinking of God when you become old, after having lost all your capacities.

If you are not using all your physical powers and capacities for the worship of
the Lord now, then later it will be too late. When children make fun of you and
call you 'old monkey!', will you then have the strength to start an intensive
spiritual life? When your hair is gray, when you are hardly able to move, when
you are barely able to see, when all the sense organs have become weak, will you
then be able to use them for the worship of the Lord? No, it will not be
possible. The scriptures have very forcefully described the futility of starting
your spiritual practices only during your last days. It is stated that when the
god of death finds you and shouts, "Come! Come!", when your own relations are
anxious to get the corpse out of the house, when they are all shouting, "Take it
away! Take it away!", and when your wife and children are there sobbing, can you
think of the Lord at that time? Can you tell your relatives to stop crying, can
you tell death to wait a little bit because you want to think of the Lord for a
few moments?

You should accumulate in youth all the things which are necessary to lay a
strong foundation for a happy future. Do you really think that it is possible to
think of the Lord only after you retire? No, it is not possible. You should be
fully engaged in regular spiritual practice before retirement. But instead, you
immerse yourself in business, and continue with that even after retirement, or
waste your time going to clubs, and in many other ways dissipate your precious
life.

You Cannot Start Spiritual Life When Death Is At The Door

A housewife once asked her husband, "At least now in your old age shouldn't you
be thinking of God? You never took the time to do it before, during your busy
period. Please, do it now!" The business man replied, "I have no time even to
die, no less to think of God." But do you think that death will not come to
someone who says that he has no time to die? Will death come only according to
his wishes? No, time waits for no one. Therefore, while you still have time you
have to make use of it in a proper way.

The enemy called death, along with his soldiers called disease, will be waiting
to wage war against your body. Men die most pitifully and helplessly during such
periods of time when they are attacked by disease and death. But no army can
attack those who have won the grace of the Lord. Therefore, during youth itself
you have to earn the grace of God and equip yourself to meet all the challenges
of your enemies when they come to lay siege on you. Above all, you must be
firmly convinced in your own heart that this journey of life is going to be a
long one. Any other journey, whether it be by bus, train or plane lasts for only
a short time; you need not make too many preparations for these. But for this
journey of life you must equip yourself for all the contingencies of a long
journey; otherwise you will be suffering greatly later on when you are faced
with real problems and real troubles.

In the compartment of freight trains used to transport chemically-active

substances, a stamp is placed at the time of manufacture giving a particular
date in the future. It is the day when that container has used up its normal
service life and must be returned to the depot for recycling. It is the same for
the container that is your body. Here also a return date has been written on it
by God himself.

You do not remember that you have to go back. People totally forget this all-
important truth. If you really want to enjoy all the pleasures of life at a
later stage, then during youth you have to earn the grace of God. In the course
of human life the early periods of childhood and youth are very important. Not
realizing the great value of this period of your life, you waste your time
during youth. You use a golden cup, adorned with precious gems and jewels, for a
low, mean, contemptible purpose. To feed the fire of your senses you are using
costly sandalwood as fuel. The vessel is very precious, the fuel is also
precious, but the food you are choosing to cook with their help, is insipid and
worthless. Such a precious body and such sacred fuel is being squandered away
for the sake of enjoying useless trivial things in life. Things without value
are put in this precious vessel and used for sordid enjoyment. You are using a
golden plough to plough the field of your heart, but you produce nothing but
useless weeds.

True Human Life Involves Discrimination & Renunciation

The field of your heart is most precious and sacred. The divine teacher has
declared that even that field belongs to him. The Lord has declared that he is
both the field and its knower. He is the true owner of your heart and of your
body. He has identified himself with them. What are you doing with this sacred
heart and body? You are using a golden plough to raise useless crops of sensual
pleasures. Any person who is aware of the preciousness of the heart and the
preciousness of the feelings that are there will not misuse these things. Life
must be used for good, for the welfare of others, for reaching the sacred goal
and for treading the sacred path, and for bringing about a shining effulgence in
the heart and mind. You have to use this life for merging yourself in the
divinity. Only then will you have the authority to say that your life has become
sanctified and genuine.

It is said that it is very difficult and almost impossible to get a human life.
What is so special about human life? Why is it so difficult to get? All the
pleasures which animals and birds enjoy, you can also enjoy. In that case, what
is the meaning in declaring that human life is so very precious, so very
special? It is because you have the ability to discriminate between right and
wrong. It is because you have the ability to give up attachments and hatred.
Therefore, you have to use the intelligence given to you to make a distinction
between the animal way of life and the human way of life. By not discriminating
between the true self and the lower self, by not developing your higher
intelligence, you become the victim of agitation and sorrow. You cannot find
inner peace because you do not follow the right path.
With a firm determination, young people need to undertake the three types of
penance, physical, mental and vocal, and thereby set an example for the world.
You have to use the active principle within you to subdue the slothful
principle, and then, you have to use the serene principle to subdue the active
principle. It is impossible to be serene as long as your heart is filled with
the slothful and active natures. When the head is empty you can hope to fill it
with some good ideas, but if your head is already full of all sorts of useless
thoughts, how is it be possible to fill it up with any thing sacred and great?
You have filled your head with all sorts of unnecessary worldly stuff. You will
have to first empty all that out. Only then will you be able to fill your head
with sacred feelings and sacred thoughts.

Keep Your Concentration Unwaveringly on God

Many of you are following a meaningless path and living a meaningless life. You
cry when you are born and you cry when you die. In between, through your whole
span of life, you go on crying for useless things. Do you cry when you see the
decline of righteousness? That is what you should cry for, that is what you
should use your strength and abilities for, to correct the decline of
righteousness and to help heal the wounds that follow its decline. What is right
living? It is the constant remembrance and uninterrupted contemplation of the
Lord. It is discharging your daily duties thinking of the Lord. The Gita has not
taught that you should give up your family, that you should give up your wealth
and property, and then go to the forest. No! Take care of your family. Do your
duty. But keep your concentration constantly on the Lord. Whatever you do, do
not forget your goal. If you give it up, you will get lost and stray onto the
wrong path. Your divine goal must be solidly set in your mind. Keeping your goal
in view, perform your daily duties.

Do not allow any flaw or defect to taint your words. Always adhere to truth.
Some people think that in times of difficulty they can modify the truth. They
may even feel that it is necessary to tell untruth sometimes. But in difficult
situations you can develop sufficient presence of mind to keep silent, instead
of telling either the truth or an untruth. If you tell the truth, tell it dearly
and sweetly. Do not tell the truth in an unpleasant way, or tell an untruth in a
pleasant way. Whenever there comes a difficult testing time, you should learn
how to avoid compromising situations without ever telling an untruth. In certain
circumstances you will have to conduct yourself in an extremely careful way. You
should know how to use words without hurting people. It has been said that, "He
is the fortunate one who knows how to talk without ever hurting anyone." You
should neither hurt others nor be hurt by others. Here is a small story.

Be Steady In Your Practice

A housewife attended a series of meetings at which a spiritual teacher was
expounding the scriptures. She was concentrating and listening with great
attention to everything that was being said. One day, the speaker recounted the
story of Rama and Sita, and in that connection declared that for a wife, the
husband was the only goal in life. He said, "It is the responsibility of the
wife to satisfy her husband and make him happy. Always treat the husband as
God." The housewife after hearing all this went back home. She was so impressed
by this discourse that she resolved to put into practice immediately all that
she had learned. As soon as the husband returned home for his midday meal, she
took a container of water and poured it over his feet, thinking that she was
worshipfully serving her husband thereby. The husband was confused and
flabbergasted. He entered the house and sat down to dry his feet, but before he
could do so she insisted on doing it for him.
After seeing all this, the husband went into his office and rang up the doctor.
Her husband did not know that his wife had been attending the discourses. The
doctor came and decided to give her some sleeping pills. He said that it looked
like an attack of hysteria, but after a rest of one or two days she probably
would be all right. The husband ate his meal and told his wife to go and have
some rest; then he went to his office. His wife went right back again to the
meeting to hear the next lecture. That afternoon the speaker was explaining the
delusory relationship which exists between husband and wife. He said, "Who is
husband? Who is wife? Nothing is permanent. All these things are just temporary
and transient. In truth nothing exists." Then he added, "God alone is true. He
is the only real truth." The housewife went back home and sat in her shrine
room.

That evening the husband came back from his office half an hour early, thinking
that his wife may not be well and perhaps he could help her in some way. He
knocked on the house door and asked her to kindly open it. From the shrine room
she answered, "There is no mother, there is no father, there is no house, there
is nothing, not even a husband." He was quite alarmed by this behavior, but
somehow he got her to open the door. When he came into the house he went
straight to the telephone and called the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist came and
examined her in detail. He gave his diagnosis. He said that after all this
listening to these discourses she had developed some peculiar attitudes; but if
she could be kept at home she would soon get over them. All arrangements were
made to keep her from going to the lectures. Everyone was informed. The driver
as well as every servant of the house was told not to let her go there.

After these restrictions had been put on her by doctor's orders, she did not go
to the lecture for two days and she started behaving in a normal way again. So
the detachment she had developed was only temporary and superficial. It did not
last. Now the husband was happy. The normal daily routine resumed. After a week
this lady went again to the place where the lectures were being given. On that
particular day the speaker was expounding the teachings of the Gita. He
explained that whenever one uses words one should tell the truth and one should
not tell it in a compromising way. She heard this and returned home. Her husband
told her that there was a marriage reception that day, and asked her to join
him. She got ready and went there with her husband.

The marriage ceremony started. There was a tradition in those parts which calls
for the auspicious necklace that is worn by the bride to be taken to every
elder, who then touches it and blesses it. The father of the bride came to this
lady, recognized her and asked her, "How is your mother? Is everything all
right?" These questions were a matter of courtesy, exchanging a few words with
her while he held out the sacred necklace, asking her to touch it and bless it.
She answered, "My mother is doing fine. She is quite all right, but you know, a
week ago my mother-in-law died quite suddenly and her body was taken to the
cremation ground the following day."

The neighbor who was sitting next to her told her, "Why did you have to say such
an inauspicious thing while touching and blessing this necklace, which is meant
to impart a long and happy life to the new bride and her future family?" The
housewife replied, "Should I tell a lie just for the sake of this necklace? No,
I will never tell a lie. It is a fact that my mother-in-law died last week and
that the body was cremated the next day." One intelligent young lady sitting
nearby told her, "Mother, certainly you should speak the truth, but you should
also be aware of the circumstances and think through what is appropriate before
you say anything."
Tell the Truth But Use Discretion In Your Words
Whenever you hear a spiritual teaching on a particular day, you will go about
implementing it with a great deal of fervor and conviction; but only on that
very day. But this is not the correct way to pursue your spiritual studies. You
should use your intellect to understand the context in which you find yourself
before you use words in a given situation. Whenever you do a particular thing or
say something, you should know that truth is the royal means for reaching your
ultimate goal. The tongue should not be tainted by untruth. The body should not
be tainted by violence. The mind should not be stained by bad thoughts and bad
feelings. It is only when you sanctify all these three, the tongue, the body and
the mind and bring them into harmony, that you will be able to get the sacred
vision of the Lord.

Students should be extremely careful in telling the truth. They should certainly
tell the truth, but be careful not to go on talking and hurting others
unnecessarily. Have control over your tongue. Whenever there is a
misunderstanding with someone, if you tell him all his defects, with the
justification that everything you are telling is true, then there are bound to
be complications later. You should never hate others. When you have love in your
heart, your words will naturally be very sweet. Even if anger develops, it will
be of a fleeting nature.

There are four types of people. The anger of a person who is of a serene nature
will be very short-lived; it recedes immediately. The Gita has declared such a
one as a great soul. The second type will have this anger for a number of
minutes, but it will soon fade away. The third category of person will have this
anger continuously, all day long. The one in the lowest category will have this
anger throughout his life.

The Four Types of Anger

The divine teacher has told this in another way also, "The anger of a good
person is like writing on water; it is not at all permanent. The anger of the
second category of person is like writing on sand, it will be washed away, one
moment or another. The third type of person's anger is something like writing on
stone. Over a long period of time it too will be eroded away. But the anger of
the fourth type of person is like writing on a steel plate, it will never go
away unless you melt it and cast it anew. Only when you put it into the fire
will it get destroyed. Only through intense transformation is there any
possibility of changing it."

Things which are highly relevant in day-to-day life can be found in the Gita. It
is very difficult for you to take all the teachings that are in the Gita and
practice all of them. But you should, at least, take those teachings which are
directly applicable to your present life and put them into practice. That way
you reap immediate benefits and will rapidly progress towards your ultimate
spiritual goal.

Fourteenth Chapter
REMEMBER GOD - FORGET THE WORLD

Of all the precious things in the world, time is the most precious. Think
carefully how you are spending your precious time. Your primary duty as a human
being is to offer your body, your work and your time to the Lord, who is the
very embodiment of time.

Embodiments of Love,
Health which is spoiled and lost can sometimes be recovered with the help of
medicines. But time which has gone by is lost for good; there is no way for it
ever to come back and be used again. You have to make every effort to use this
precious time in a sacred manner. Time is infinite; it goes on forever. But the
time which is allotted to you is only a microscopically small fraction of that.
Many of you are wasting your lives by thinking that the phenomenal world is
real. As a result, you are using all your limited time for enjoying the
pleasures of the world. If you reflect even for a moment on what you have
achieved and how you have spent your priceless time, you will be very sorry to
find that you have used it in such a wasteful manner.

Find Out Who You Truly Are

You cry when you are born, because you have come into this world without knowing
who you are and why you are here. Your cry is an anguished plea to find out,
"Who am I?" If you waste your entire life on only your physical existence, when
will you ever be able to understand who you truly are? There is a deeper
significance contained in your life than merely caring for the body. You have to
start your life with "Who am I?", and you have to end your life with "I am that!
I am God!" You have to recognize that you yourself are the divinity, and end
your life in the supreme peace which is your true reality. Unfortunately, most
of you concentrate your attention only on the worldly enjoyments you can obtain,
aspiring for immediate pleasures, and do not think at all about the future
consequences that will follow from your actions.

When a frog sees some flies or worms in front of it, it becomes so happy and
enthusiastic that it would like to immediately jump on them, swallow them whole
and enjoy them. But behind the frog there is a snake lying in wait, ready to
catch the frog and eat it up. The snake is very happy to have found its meal in
the form of this frog which for the moment is preoccupied with its own
enjoyment. The snake does not know that a hawk is hovering overhead, ready to
snatch the snake up in its claws. The hawk is so joyous at the idea of grabbing
and consuming this unsuspecting snake that it does not pay any attention to the
hunter lurking in the bush, ready to shoot it.

In the same way, you are also thinking only of fulfilling your desires and
anticipating the comforts that you see before you, not thinking at all of what
is stalking behind you, waiting to pounce on you. You are wasting your time
without realizing the harm that may befall you in the future. You cannot know at
what time, in what place and in what circumstances danger may present itself and
come your way. Therefore, you have to sanctify the time at your disposal now,
and use it properly, recognizing its sacredness and preciousness.

Youth Is the Most Precious Period of Life

You may be prepared to offer millions of dollars to buy whatever comes your way,
but no amount of money can be paid to ever get back the time that has already
been spent. Youth is the most precious, the most sacred period of human life. It
offers you a golden opportunity to properly utilize your time and sanctify your
life. In human life, the time of youth, like the waters that flow in the river,
cannot be turned back again. Today's youth should recognize this fact. Utilize
your time in a proper way and you will gain fulfillment in life. Always be aware
of the many aspects of the wheel of time. Realize how extremely important time
is. Think ahead as to what is likely to happen in the future and keep the goal
of your life constantly in view.

In the chapter on devotion in the Gita, it is said that time is the most
important element in your life and you must use your time wisely. Your time
should be used to reach God. The divine teacher taught in the Gita, that even if
you have not reached a highly developed detachment from worldly objects, if you
use your time in constant awareness of the Lord, performing all your works and
duties as worship and offering everything you do to the Lord, then you will have
a blessed life.

Krishna told Arjuna, "Do your duty, Arjuna! If you have to fight, then fight.
But fight, thinking of me. That way you will incur no sin. If you have offered
everything to me, and have me steadily in your heart, you will not suffer any of
the consequences of your actions. You are not being asked to go to the forest
and do penance or to give up all your relations. You need not give up your
family, your house and all your properties. Whatever you see, whatever you say,
whatever you hear, whatever you think, whatever you do, do it as my work, and
offer it to me. Offer your mind and your intelligence fully to me. That is the
proper way to sanctify your time. If you conduct your life in this way, you have
my assurance, you will be saved!"

Develop Self-Confidence and a Firm Resolve

Unfortunately today, one does not find this capacity for renunciation, this
firmness of purpose, this deep level of faith and commitment, this willingness
to completely offer up mind and intellect to God. Most people today do not have
a vision that is steeped in faith. But you should develop such a strong faith.
You cannot hope to know what kind of life you will be living in the future, or
under what circumstances and in what place you will find yourself. No one knows
these things but the Lord. If you offer everything to him, he will protect you
in all situations. Such a deep level of renunciation requires strong self-
confidence and a clearness of vision. Whatever work you do, you must have a
great determination and a firm resolve. Without this you cannot achieve even the
smallest thing.

A small bird laid its eggs on the shore of the ocean. It wanted to have a
comfortable life. A number of times the waves came and washed the eggs away into
the ocean. The bird became discouraged and also a little desperate, for every
time it laid its eggs the ocean washed them away. In time it became very angry
with the ocean. Now, you might think, 'what can such a small bird do to the huge
ocean?' But it entertained no such doubts; it did not think of itself as just a
little bird unable to do anything against the vast ocean. No, on the contrary,
this small bird took a firm resolve and decided it was going to empty all the
waters of the mighty ocean. That was its vow to which it stuck with great
determination. Night and day it stood at the edge of the ocean, dipped its head
into the sea, took a little water into its beak, flew to the other side of a
nearby hill, released the water from its beak, and thus, drop by drop, resolved
to empty out the whole ocean. It believed that ultimately it would manage, in
this way, to conquer the ocean itself.

When it realized that it would not get very far on its own, it sought the help
of Garuda, the eagle, which is Lord Vishnu's vehicle and which is endowed with
divine powers. With the help of Garuda it was able to earn the grace of Lord
Vishnu. Now the ocean became very frightened and humbly apologized to the little
bird. The ocean assured the little bird that its eggs would never again be
destroyed by its waves and that it would be most welcome to nest on its shores,
without disturbance. How small was this little bird and how vast was the ocean!
You also think of yourself as so small, but you should never get desperate and
lose hope. You should not get dispirited thinking that you are so insignificant
whereas God is infinite and all-powerful.

You might wonder, 'Why would God bother to pay any attention to me? What could I
possibly offer him which he would be happy to accept, when the entire cosmos is
already his? If even angels and divine beings cannot see him, how can I ever
hope to behold his form?' But such self-demeaning and belittling thoughts will
not get you very far. As long as you think this way, you will not be able to
gain the grace of the Lord and be fit to serve him. Give no room for such
displays of weakness. You have to establish the Lord in your heart and say to
him, "Beloved Lord! I know you are residing in all the universe, but you are
also here in my heart. With all my power I will keep you here, firmly
established within me. You are, it is true, the biggest of the big. But you are
also the smallest of the small. In that small form, You are ever residing in my
heart." If you have such a firm faith in yourself, and a firm resolve to
establish the Lord unalterably in your heart, then you will surely attain him
and thereby, gain all the strength of the Lord.

Birth is Sorrowful, Life is Sorrowful and Death is Sorrowful

Gautama Buddha,; with a firm resolve and a lot of penance, was able to achieve
the state of enlightenment. One day, after coming to know that Buddha was
begging for alms, his father sent this message to Buddha, "O my child, your
grandfather was a king, your father is a king and you are also a king. I have
heard that you, a king, coming from such a noble lineage, have been begging for
your food. There is no dearth of property or wealth in this kingdom. There is no
shortage of any luxury. You can have anything you wish. I am suffering untold
pain knowing that you, who can enjoy all the luxuries and comforts of a king's
palace, have taken to begging, and that you are lying down on the hard ground
living an uncomfortable beggar's life. Please come back to the palace. I will
welcome you and make all the proper arrangements for your return. The kingdom
itself will be yours."

Buddha who heard all these things with total detachment replied to the person
who brought the message, "Please tell the king, 'Yes, my grandfather was a king.
My father is a king, and I too was a king. But now I have renounced this world.
And I believe that my real parents are renunciates and that my true ancestors
are also renunciates. If you want me to come back, you must first answer these
questions: Do you have the power to save me from death? Can you keep diseases
away from me and guarantee to keep me in sound health? Do you have the capacity
to prevent old age and senility from descending on me? Do you have the power to
free me from all these evils? If you can give me the correct answers to these
questions, then I will immediately come back to the palace.'"

Buddha saw that birth was sorrowful, that life was sorrowful and that the end
was also sorrowful. He replied to his father in the correct way. After having
seen all the sorrows of life and after having watched so many people suffering,
he could not continue to wallow in ignorance and illusion; that would have been
sheer folly. Buddha's life can serve as an important lesson to you. In the
limited time given to you, you have to realize your true nature. That is the
real objective of human life. Your body is composed of the five elements, and
some day it is going to perish. The indweller of your body is the only permanent
entity. When you inquire into truth, you will realize that there is nothing like
old age and there is nothing like death for the indwelling self. If you could
understand that this indweller, who is your own reality, is the divinity itself,
in all its fullness, then you will know the truth and enjoy infinite peace.

The Field and the Knower of the Field

Another way that the divine teacher spoke of the body and its indweller, was in
terms of the field and the knower of the field. By the knower is meant the one
who is conscious and filled with the highest knowledge, whereas the field is
without such consciousness and knowledge. What is this field which is devoid of
the highest knowledge? It is the body with its gross and subtle aspects; it is
the dwelling place of the Lord. Know that the Lord, who has all knowledge and
wisdom, resides in this field of the body. It is his residence here on earth.

In your day-to-day life, you refer to your body as my body. In other words, you
acknowledge that you are not the body, but that this body is yours; it belongs
to you. Similarly, the indweller considers that he is not the field, but that
the field belongs to him. When you say, "this is mine", then you are declaring
that you and the object are different. When you state, "this is my
handkerchief", you are asserting your separateness from the handkerchief; it is
something different from you. When you say, "this is my body", it means that you
are distinct from your body. In the same way, when the Lord declares that the
field is his, then he is free to give it up any time he wishes.

The body is given to you in order that you may realize who you truly are, in
order that you may recognize its indweller. Without a body you would not be able
to know him; you would not be able to perform any activity and follow any
spiritual path. All your work, both worldly and spiritual, can only be performed
with the help of the body. The body consists of 20 principles; these are the
five organs of perception, the five organs of activity, the five vital airs and
the five sheaths. When you add to these the lower mind, the power of
discrimination, the seat of feelings and remembrance in the heart, and the ego,
together with the indwelling self, then the total comes to 25 principles which
comprise an individual. This knowledge of the body and the indwelling spirit
relates to the path of wisdom.

The Whole World is Illusion

Foolish ones who are born in illusion and grow up in illusion, never recognize
illusion for what it is. The whole world is illusion, all attachments are
illusion, family life is illusion, death is illusion, all that you see and think
is illusion. This life itself is illusion. Where are all those kings and
emperors who were so proud of their accomplishments? They have all been ground
under the wheel of time. Days, months, years and eras have all merged into one
another. Time is one continuous flow, and in this flow everything and everyone,
every object and every person, is being washed away. A thing which is itself
being washed away in the flow of time cannot become the support for another
thing which is also being washed away.

Who can save whom? The only permanent entity who is not being washed away by
time and who can take care of all, is the Lord. He alone can protect everyone.
He is the stable bank for this unending river of time. Hold on to him. That is
the secret of life. That is the mark of a true human being. Believe in the Lord
and do not believe in the world, that is the right way to live your life and
enjoy it. Always remember these three principles: In the first place, Do not
forget the Lord; in the second place, Do not believe in the world; and in the
third place, Never be afraid of death. These are the three guiding principles
for all of humanity.

In the Gita you will find 64 qualities given as the attributes of a true
devotee. It is impossible for any one individual to have all these attributes.
If you can practice one or two of these it is enough. Have firm faith in the
Lord. Once you have developed a deep faith you do not need anything more. In a
match box there may be 50 match sticks. If you want fire, you can strike one
stick. That will be enough. You need not strike all the 50 match sticks. In the
same way, out of the 64 attributes, if only one single attribute is practiced to
perfection, that will be enough. The most important attribute is selfless love.
Swami has often said, "Love is God and God is love. Live in love." If you live
in love and become immersed in the divinity, the Lord will take care of
everything in your life. Krishna said to Arjuna, "When you have complete faith
in me, when you are filled with devotion and leave everything to me, you will be
very dear to me," .

The Four Types of Devotees

True devotion does not merely refer to the performance of various religious
rituals like singing devotional songs, repeating incantations, engaging in
silent or communal prayers or sitting for meditation. Devotion refers to this
deep unshakable faith in the Lord. There are four types of devotees: the seekers
of boons to relieve their suffering, the seekers of blessings for a full and
happy life, the inquirers into the deeper meaning of life, and the knowers of
the highest spiritual wisdom.

The first type is one who prays to the Lord when he is in difficulty or
undergoing trials and tribulations. It is only at such times that he thinks of
the Lord and worships him. The second type is one who entreats the Lord for the
blessings of wealth, position and power. He prays to the Lord for progeny and
long life and yearns to gain houses, property, cattle, gold, jewels and such
things to serve his fellow man. Most people hanker after worldly boons, not
realizing that true wealth is wisdom, that real property is a noble character,
that the most valuable jewel is to be immersed in God's love. They are anxious
to acquire worldly objects, but do not understand the subtle meaning and deeper
significance of all these outer symbols of worldly wealth.

The third type of devotee is ever engaged in inquiry into truth. He constantly
seeks to know, 'Where is God? Who is God? How can I reach God? What is my
relationship to God? Who am I?' When you enter this stage, you become engaged in
all these inquiries in order to gain spiritual knowledge. In the first place,
you must try to find out, 'Who am I? Where did this world come from? What is my
goal?' You puzzle over these three important queries and try to gain some
understanding. You approach great people, listen to their teachings, serve them,
and study the sacred scriptures. Through this process, indirect knowledge gets
turned into direct knowledge, as the teachings you have heard and studied become
your direct inner experience. Finally, when you have fully absorbed the
teachings within yourself, you leave this stage behind and become the fourth
type of devotee, the highest knower of truth, the one of abiding wisdom. This
wisdom is true spiritual knowledge, the transcendental knowledge. It refers to
the experience of unity, the experience of the One without a second.

Dwelling only on external things will cause you endless sorrow. If you base your
experiences on worldly knowledge alone, you will have to suffer the reactions
that result from this knowledge. For example, suppose you hit a table very hard
and feel a sense of pride in doing this. You can boast that you have given it a
good smack and that you surely must have hurt it with your blow. But,
immediately afterwards, to your dismay, you discover that the object has hit you
back with the same intensity and you end up being equally hurt by it. In
knowledge of the world there will always be this response. Whatever you do will
react back on you; whatever you say will resound back to you; whatever you think
will reflect back to you. Everything in the world involves reaction, reflection
and resound.

But in the spiritual domain there is no reaction, no reflection and no resound.

Within this domain, there is only transcendental knowledge; that is the true
knowledge. There you will find nothing separate, no objects which can react,
nothing that can reflect or resound, because in the spiritual domain, there will
be no other. There, all is one. Whenever there is a second entity there will be
a wish to either possess it or to escape it; in other words, there will arise a
feeling of desire or a feeling of fear. But when you are immersed in real
knowledge, you will experience nothing else and no one else; there will be no
second. Then neither desire nor fear can arise. That state can best be described
as wisdom, the highest knowledge. In that exalted state, you do not see anything
separate from self and you will not hear anything separate from self. You will
only be immersed in supreme bliss. This is the eternal joy of the divine.

The Story of The Wealthy Man And His Four Wives

There is a little story which illustrates the four types of devotion that have
been discussed here. Once, a wealthy man who had four wives had to go abroad for
some important work. He spent a few months in a foreign country. Before he
returned home, he wrote a letter to each of his wives. In the letter he
mentioned that he would be coming home in a few weeks, and if there was anything
they wanted from that particular country, they could send a list and he would be
glad to bring back the various things to them.

His first wife was an unhappy lady; she was suffering from many ailments. She
sent the husband a list of medicines, explaining that her health was not good
and that she would like to have a number of foreign medicines which would help
her feel better. His second wife had a great many desires. She wrote, 'Dear
husband, please bring me some fine jewels, some silk saris and all the latest
fashionable articles that are available there.' He received her letter and
arranged to procure those items for her.

The third wife had a strong spiritual inclination. She wrote to the husband
asking for any good books that were available in that country, books which dealt
with the lives of great saints, depicting their life experiences. She was always
looking for good spiritual books that would inspire her in her own spiritual
aspirations, and so she asked her husband to see if he could find such books and
bring them back for her. His fourth and favorite wife wrote, 'Dearest one, I do
not need anything for myself. I will be very happy when I know that you have
come back home, safe and sound.'

When he returned home he brought with him whatever they had asked for. The first
wife got the latest medicines and tonics from abroad. The second wife got
beautiful jewels and exquisitely textured silk saris. To the third wife the
husband brought the finest copies of the scriptures and other holy books. And
then he went to stay with the fourth wife, who had written, 'Please come home
safely; I want nothing else.' She only wanted him. The other three wives became
jealous of the favorite one since the husband had gone to stay with her. They
sent messages asking, "After such a long time without seeing us you have not
even once come to our houses to visit us. What is the reason for this?" The
husband replied, "I have given each of you exactly what you asked for. One of
you asked for medicines; I brought them. One of you asked for the latest jewels;
I brought them. One of you asked for sacred books; I brought them. One of you
wanted only me, so now she has me!"

God Answers Everyone's Requests

This husband is the Lord himself and the four wives are the four types of
devotees. The Lord will give you exactly what you ask for. If you ask only for
him then he will come and reside in your heart. God is the wish-fulfilling tree,
the tree that bears every conceivable kind of fruit. He will answer everyone's
request. He is omniscient. He is everywhere. He knows what you want and he will
give it to you. In fact, this whole world is really a wish-fulfilling tree. The
Lord uses the world to satisfy your desires and take care of all your wants.
There are very few people who understand this. Here is another small story to
illustrate this.
There was a traveler who had been walking for a long time in the hot sun.
Finally he found a nice big tree and stopped there to take rest. He was very
tired after his long walk in the heat and now the shade of the tree was giving
him great comfort. While sitting under the tree he got thirsty and said to
himself, 'How nice it would be if I could have a glass of cold water.'
Seemingly, out of nowhere, a tumbler of fresh water appeared. He was sitting
beneath a wish-fulfilling tree and did not know it. After drinking the water, a
second thought came to his mind, 'How nice it would be if I could have a soft
pillow and a comfortable bed; then I would really be able to rest nicely.'
Immediately, a bed and a pillow came, given by the Lord himself. Now the
traveler was very comfortable.

After getting the bed and the pillow, he thought, 'How very nice and comfortable
this bed and pillow are! Now if only I could have my wife here, then how perfect
everything would be.' His wife immediately came. As soon as she appeared, he
became very frightened because he was not sure, 'Is she really my wife or is she
some demon impersonating my wife?' The very moment this thought flashed though
his mind she turned into a demon. Now, fear really overwhelmed him and in terror
he wondered, 'O my! Will this demon swallow me up?' Immediately the demon
pounced on him and swallowed him whole.

The moral of this story is that when you are under a wish-fulfilling tree you
must be very careful what you think. Whatever thoughts you have will surely come
true. The entire world may be likened to a wish-fulfilling tree. If you have
good thoughts, you get good results, if you have bad thoughts, bad results will
follow. Therefore, you should never harbor bad feelings or bad thoughts. That is
why Swami has so often said, 'Be good, do good, see good. That is the way to
God.'

You Are Not Mortal, You Are Immortal

The entire world is the creation of God and is penetrated by his will.
Everywhere there is God. Do not have bad thoughts about anyone. Have complete
control over your senses and think only good thoughts. Whether you are old or
young, you should permit only good thoughts to come into your mind and always
aspire to lead a good life. This is the real meaning of a human being. The word
for human in Sanskrit is nara, which stands for that which cannot be destroyed,
that which will always come back to the Lord. Nara is the one who will not be
ruined, who is immortal. The ancient scriptures have declared, 'You are not a
mortal being; you are the child of immortality.' A human being has also been
called manava. This refers the one who is without ignorance. But today you are
all behaving in a foolish way. By your thoughts, words and actions you are not
giving the proper value to the word human.

It has been said that death is sweeter than the blindness of ignorance. You have
to make ignorance flee away from you and never come back. If you want to drive
away darkness, you must bring in the light. Where there is light there can be no
darkness. If you want to free yourself from ignorance you must acquire wisdom.
When you have wisdom, ignorance can have no foothold on you and will be swept
away. To gain wisdom you must earn God's grace. A great poet sang, "O Lord! If I
have your grace, what is there to fear? What can destiny ever do to me?"
Your life should not be ruled by lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride or
jealousy. These are your enemies. They must be conquered and subdued. They are
the darkness, the product of ignorance. Your life must be ruled by light and by
wisdom. Your life must be based entirely on the grace of God. From this moment
on, aspire for God's grace and gain wisdom. To earn God's grace, think of God,
everywhere, at all times and in all circumstances. In this age of darkness there
is no greater spiritual practice than this. Engage yourself in the constant
repetition of the sacred name of the Lord and keep him permanently established
in your heart of hearts. Thereby, you will bless your life and set a sterling
example for the rest of the world.

Part Two - Path Of Wisdom

Fifteenth Chapter

GIVE UP SELF-DELUSION - KNOW YOUR REAL SELF

Krishna admonished Arjuna, "Give up this faint-heartedness! Pluck up your

courage and fight! This weakness of heart that has overtaken you is not becoming
of a great hero!"

Embodiments of Love,
What was responsible for Arjuna's despondency? It was ignorance. Because of
ignorance he developed body-consciousness, and because of body-consciousness he
became confused and weak-minded; he lost all his resolve and courage and was
unable to accomplish anything.

Infatuation and Attachment Lead to Sorrow

Krishna told Arjuna, "As long as you are weak-minded, even the smallest task
will not get done. You will be haunted by sorrow. Do you know what causes this
sorrow? It is your attachment. You are infatuated with a sense of my people, my
kinsmen, my friends. This possessive attitude stems from ignorance. Attachment
and infatuation will always make you faint-hearted and plunge you into grief.
These are the real enemies you must battle and conquer.

"As long as you are swayed by this possessive attitude, thinking only of your
self, your family, your people, your things, you can be certain that sooner or
later you will be cast into sorrow. You must shift your focus away from your
little self and its concerns for me and mine. Align yourself with the will of
the divine. Travel from selfishness to selflessness, from bondage to
liberation."

More than ever, this teaching is applicable today. For example, think of the
time when the school photographer came to take pictures of all the students in
your class. When the photos came back from the lab, more than likely you were
interested in finding your own photo; you were not as interested in the others'
photos. Or consider when your father came home from a long trip, and brought
with him presents for every child in the family. You were probably most eager to
find out what he had brought for you. These are examples of a widespread
selfishness which is prevalent everywhere. But, you should leave this kind of
narrowness behind and become broad-minded and selfless. Then you will be a fit
instrument in the hands of the divinity and contribute to the welfare of the
whole world.

Infatuation Will Destroy Your Courage and Will

Before the great war referred to in the Gita, Arjuna had participated in a
number of battles, but never before had he been overcome by despondency and
attachment. Now, the same Arjuna was overwhelmed with grief when he realized
that the opponents he had to fight were his own grandfather, his kinsmen and his
teacher. This possessive feeling made him feel dejected. He became a victim of
infatuation; the feeling of my-ness had crept in. As this attitude grew, its
consequence, which is sorrow, also grew along with it. Previously, when Krishna
went on his peace mission to the opposing side, Arjuna discouraged it. He urged
immediate war. He tried to convince Krishna that the mission would fail, that
talk would prove futile and only a victorious war could restore to them the
kingdom which had been stolen from Arjuna and his brothers.

At that time, Arjuna told Krishna, "This struggle for right cannot be settled by
peaceful means. Our enemies will never agree to the terms of your peace mission.
Their hatred and greed is unappeasable. Why waste your time and efforts on them?
Good and evil; cannot coexist; they are incompatible; they will never join
together. Your mission is bound to fail." Then, Arjuna was full of courage and
determination because he was not seeing his grandfather, his teacher, his
relatives and many of his friends facing him on the opposing side. Before this
possessive vision emerged on the eve of the war, it seemed that Arjuna had a
very broad vision. But now, standing in the middle of the battlefield, Arjuna's
vision was beclouded. His eyes became dim. His heart was heavy and his mind
confused. When he saw his close relatives and some of his friends arrayed on the
other side ready to fight him, he felt dizzy. He said, "Krishna, I will not
fight!"

Remember that Arjuna was about to fight a war to protect righteousness, a war
for which he had been preparing for many years. He was already on the
battlefield and the war was about to commence. Was that the time to look upon
his opponents as relatives? When Krishna heard Arjuna's words he got very angry.
He told Arjuna, "This is faint-heartedness. It doesn't become you! A fearless
person like you, who has always walked proudly with his head held high like a
true hero, now seems to be suffering from timidity. A person who suffers from
such faint-heartedness cannot be my disciple. The war is about to start. The
final preparations for war have been going on for the past three months, and now
the battle plans have been set.

"If you had shown this kind of hesitation in the beginning I would surely not
have taken on this task of driving your chariot. At this late stage you are
hesitating, after you have convinced friends and relatives of the rightness of
your cause and have persuaded them to join your side. Now with them all
assembled here, you are laying down your weapons and giving up ignominiously. Is
that the way for a hero to act? You are destroying the true spirit of your royal
line, whose sworn duty is to protect honor and righteousness. If you continue in
this way as a timid, faint-hearted weakling, the coming generation will laugh at
your cowardice. You have taken the name of Arjuna but you are not living up to
that name!"

Ignorance Is the Cause of All Sorrow

What is the meaning of arjuna? It means sacredness and purity. For such a noble
person as Arjuna to lay down his arms and resolve not to fight a battle in which
righteousness was at stake could only be due to ignorance. The Lord, being fully
aware of the nature of this disease, resolved to eradicate it.

At the very beginning of the Gita, Krishna could have taught the principle of
devotion and the commitment to duty and selfless action. But Krishna chose not
to do so. In fact, he started speaking only after listening for a long time to
Arjuna's weeping and lamentations. While Arjuna was carrying on, Krishna did not
interfere at all. He patiently waited while Arjuna verbalized his confused
state. Finally Krishna asked, "Arjuna, are you done? Have you vented all your
feelings?" It was only at this point that Krishna started teaching.

Just as students become empty after writing their examinations, Arjuna also
became empty after airing all his concerns. Then Krishna told him, "This awful
defect of weak-mindedness has sprouted in you. I know how to deal with it. I
will cure it! It is ignorance which is responsible for this infatuation. This
ignorance is causing your weak-mindedness." Then Krishna started instructing
Arjuna in the highest wisdom, the knowledge which distinguishes the true self
from the false self, the eternal from the ephemeral, the sentient from the
insentient.

When a person is overcome with anguish and is suffering from ignorance, what
should be done to free him from his delusion? He is like a patient who is in
great danger. The first thing the doctor must do is to see to it that the
patient gets out of danger. After that the doctor can undertake longer-term
treatments. Suppose the patient is in immediate danger of losing his life, then
any treatments the patient is given will prove to be useless unless he is first
brought out of the emergency. Once he is out of danger, then many therapeutic
procedures can be undertaken. For example, if a person is drowning in a river,
you must first bring him out of the water, lie him down on the bank, and give
him artificial respiration. Then you can start your other treatments to bring up
his circulation and get him over the shock. You certainly would not start those
treatments while he is in the water, drowning.

The Cure for Ignorance

Krishna, therefore, gave Arjuna a strong injection of courage to save him from
drowning in sorrow and dejection. His immediate first-aid treatment was to teach
Arjuna how to discriminate between the true self and the personal self. He said,
"Arjuna, as long as you are overcome with fear and anxiety, you will not be able
to accomplish anything. Be courageous! Know that you are the atma, not this
body; then you will be fearless. I can help you to achieve great things, but
only if you base your actions on true knowledge and remain fearless." At this
point Krishna was smiling, but Arjuna was weeping.

The one who is always smiling is the Lord. The one who is weeping is man.
Krishna is the true self, Arjuna is the false self. One is the embodiment of
wisdom and the other is filled with ignorance. Krishna said, "I would like to
explain some things to you which are very important. Right now we are behaving
in different ways. I am smiling while you are crying. But we could both be
alike; either I could become like you or you could become like me. If I should
become like you, then I would become weak-minded. But that is impossible!
Weakness can never enter into me! On the other hand, if you were to become like
me, then you would have to follow me and do as I say." At this Arjuna replied,
"Swami, I will do exactly as you say. I will follow all your commands
implicitly!" Having given Arjuna sufficient encouragement and strength of
purpose, Krishna enabled Arjuna to recover his strong resolve. From that point
on, Arjuna undertook to fight, following the directions given by the Lord.

Krishna started his wisdom teachings with some important truths relating to the
body and mind. He said, "Arjuna, you think that these people are your relatives
and friends. But, what is meant by a relative or a friend? Does it refer to the
body or does it refer to the indweller? Bodies are just water bubbles; they come
and go. These relatives and friends which you are so attached to now, have all
existed before, in any number of births. But were they your relatives and
friends then? No. You too have existed countless times before, and I as well.
The body, the mind and the intellect are all just so much apparel. They are like
the clothes you wear; you change them now and again. They are mere instruments.
Why develop a close relationship with these things, getting infatuated with them
and then having to suffer so much sorrow and grief?
"Do your duty! All the honor that is due to you as a prince will be bestowed on
you. But on the battlefield there cannot be room for any feeling of weak-
mindedness and feeble-heartedness. Fighting boldly to preserve righteousness and
shrinking in weakness are completely incompatible with each other. To have this
timidity on the battlefield is not becoming of a great hero. Your cause is just
and you have come to fight. Therefore, fight!" With words such as these, Krishna
cured Arjuna of his despondency and helped him to find his strength and courage.
When Krishna finished his teaching on the battlefield, Arjuna regained his noble
ideals and faced the upcoming fight with renewed valor.

The War Between Selfishness and Selflessness

This particular field on which the war was about to be fought had historically
been a sacred place, where sacrifices and other sacred and auspicious acts had
been performed. At the same time, it was also the place where the dynasty that
sprouted the hundred wicked brothers had engaged in its nefarious activities.
Therefore, this field was both sacred and corrupted by evil;. This field is
symbolic of the human body.

When a body is born it is pure and unblemished; it is not a victim of any of the
six enemies of man: desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and jealousy. A
new-born baby is naturally joyful. Whoever may look at it, whether that person
is a thief or a king, the baby is happy. It smiles and laughs at anyone who
comes towards it, whether that person has come to kiss it or beat it. Since a
small child is pure, its body can be described as the field of righteousness. As
the body grows, it goes on collecting bad qualities, such as jealousy, hatred,
attachment, greed, selfishness. As these evil traits accumulate, the body
becomes impure. Therefore, the body can be considered both pure and impure. Good
and bad are both encased in your heart.

The impure qualities are associated with my-ness, the possessive tendency. The
inner significance of this battle between the forces of good and evil, with the
five Pandava brothers and Krishna on one side, and the 100 wicked Kaurava
brothers on the other side, is the inner war taking place in each individual, an
all-out war between good and bad, between righteousness and immorality, between
selflessness and selfishness.

The Kaurava brothers represent those people who consider things which do not
belong to them as their own. They represent the possessive nature. They consider
the body as their very self. If you observe people of the Kaurava mentality,
that is, those having this possessive attitude, you will find that they all
identify themselves with the body and the senses. The great war between the
Pandavas and the Kauravas lasted only eighteen days, but the war between the
forces of good and evil goes on throughout your life. It has no end. This battle
is fought in the field of your own body. In this way, Krishna explained some of
the deeper significance of the war to Arjuna.

Foresight & Compassion - Qualities Found In a Pure Heart

You might wonder why the Gita was taught to Arjuna. Among the Pandavas, some of
the other brothers, such as the oldest one, Dharmaraja, who was the very pillar
of virtue, might be considered better qualified spiritually than Arjuna. Why was
the sacred Gita not taught to Dharmaraja who was known for his outstanding moral
strength? Or if you were to consider physical prowess, then Bhima, who was the
most powerful among the brothers, would surely have qualified for the teachings.
Krishna could have given the Gita to Bhima, but he did not. Why not? Why did he
give it only to Arjuna? You have to understand the inner significance of this.
Dharmaraja was the embodiment of righteousness, but he did not have foresight.
He did not think about the future consequences of his actions. Only after events
had already occurred, did he think about their consequences and feel sorry for
what he had done. He had hindsight but not foresight. If you take Bhima, he, of
course, had great physical strength, but he did not have much intelligence. He
was able to uproot a tree, but he was lacking in discrimination. Arjuna, on the
other hand, had foresight. For example, Arjuna told Krishna, "I would rather be
dead than fight against these people. It will mean so much suffering later on,
even if we win the war."

In contrast to Arjuna's anguish about all the suffering that would be brought on
by this war, Dharmaraja was quite ready to get on with the battle, although
later he felt deeply depressed about all the killing when the war was over.
Years earlier, Dharmaraja had been pulled in to a royal game of dice, in which
he lost everything, including his wealth, his kingdom, and even his wife.
Afterwards, he was filled with great anguish and remorse. Whenever a person
without discrimination and foresight is called upon to make a decision while in
the midst of difficult circumstances, he invariably regrets his actions later
on. This was also the nature of King Dasaratha, who was the father of Rama, the
divine incarnation 5000 years earlier. King Dasaratha lacked foresight and
discrimination.

Early in his reign, Dasaratha had to fight a war to defend and preserve
righteousness. In this war he took his young queen, Kaikeyi, with him. Kaikeyi
had been a princess in a warrior kingdom and had been well-schooled in the art
of warfare. It was Kaikeyi, in fact, who taught Rama archery and some of the
methods of waging war. When Dasaratha was fighting during the war, one of the
wheels of his chariot started coming off. Kaikeyi used her finger to keep the
wheel from separating itself from the axle. In so doing, she saved Dasaratha's
life, as well as her own.

After having achieved victory, King Dasaratha noticed that her hand was bleeding
profusely. Seeing her plight, he was so overwhelmed with infatuation and so
pleased with her courage and sacrifice that he told her, "Kaikeyi, you can ask
for two boons. Ask for anything that you wish, and I shall do all in my power to
grant them to you!" He granted the boons in gratitude for her heroic act in
saving their lives. But his infatuation with her blinded him to her weak-
mindedness. He did not specify what kind of boons she should ask for nor when
they should take effect. He blindly granted the promise of boons without
thinking of any of the possible consequences.

Kaikeyi waited until the time when Dasaratha decided to hand over the kingdom to
Rama. At that point, Kaikeyi asked for Rama to be banished to the forest, and
for her son, Bharatha, to be put on the throne instead. Then Dasaratha felt
desperately sorry for having granted the boons without any pre-conditions. But
it was too late to retract them, and the resulting grief brought on his death.
We know that Krishna had a great deal of affection for Arjuna, but is that the
reason he taught the Gita to Arjuna and not to one of the other brothers? No.
Krishna looked at all the consequences, all the implications, and found Arjuna
alone qualified to receive the Gita from him. Arjuna foresaw what was going to
happen after the war, and therefore declared that he did not want to fight,
because the consequences would be very bad. He was not feeling sorry after the
war was over, but before. That attitude of feeling sorry before taking action,
instead of afterwards, can only be found in a pure heart. Arjuna certainly had
such a pure and sacred heart and that is why Krishna was so fond of him.

The Transformation From Kinsman or Friend to Disciple

In those days people lived much longer than they do today. At the time of the
great war, Krishna and Arjuna were already quite advanced in years, by today's
standards. For over 70 years, Krishna and Arjuna had been inseparably together.
Although they were together for so many years, at no time during all those years
did Krishna teach the Gita to Arjuna. Why was this so? During all those years
Arjuna treated Krishna as his brother-in-law and his close friend. Krishna did
not teach the Gita to Arjuna as long as Arjuna was living with body-
consciousness.

The moment Arjuna surrendered and accepted discipleship, then Krishna became his
teacher and Arjuna became Krishna's student. Only after this act of surrender on
the part of Arjuna did Krishna teach him the Gita. This means that if you really
want to acquire spiritual knowledge from another, you have to relate to that
person as disciple to spiritual teacher, before the transfer of knowledge can
flow freely.

In the ancient scriptures there is a similar story of a great teacher. At that

time there was no greater teacher than he. But he sent his own son to another
teacher to attain spiritual knowledge. The father himself would not teach his
son. He took this step because he knew that as long as the son considered him
the father, the boy would not relate to him fully as the teacher, and therefore,
the boy would not have been properly instructed in the highest wisdom. This was
also the situation with Krishna and Arjuna. As long as the relationship of
brother-in-law existed between them, Arjuna could not receive knowledge from
Krishna. But once this feeling of brothers-in-law left his heart and the feeling
of being in the presence of the supreme divinity entered Arjuna's heart, then
Arjuna was able to learn from Krishna.

After Arjuna had surrendered completely and developed the feeling that Krishna
was divine, he said to Krishna:

You are my mother,

You are my father,
You are my nearest kin,
You are my dearest friend,
You are my wisdom,
You are my treasure,
You are my everything,
You are my Lord, my loving Lord.

It was then that Krishna accepted him as a disciple. At that point Krishna said,
"You do my work. Do everything for me and I shall take care of you." The most
important thing that Krishna did was to free Arjuna from the feeling of body-
consciousness. So long as body-consciousness persists, regardless of what path
you follow, whether it is the path of selfless service or the path of devotion
or the path of inner inquiry, you will not be able to practice the required
disciplines that will lead you to the goal. Body-consciousness and the
attachments resulting from it will constantly pollute your heart. Without
emptying the heart of its dross, it is not possible to fill it up with sacred
feelings. If a tumbler is full of water, how can you fill it with milk? You
first have to empty the water. Krishna said, "Arjuna, you are full of body-
consciousness. First you must completely rid yourself of this. Only then will I
be able to fill your heart with sacred thoughts."

Be Courageous, Be Fearless, Be Discriminating

Krishna's teachings were aimed at freeing Arjuna of his infatuations, and the
grief and sorrow which resulted from them. The two most important steps in this
process are surrender and elimination of body-consciousness. Once Arjuna's body-
consciousness was gone, Krishna was ready to reveal to Arjuna the highest
spiritual teaching, that of self-knowledge. With that, Krishna awakened Arjuna
out of his sleep of ignorance. He said, "There are a number of reasons for your
sorrow but the most fundamental one is your ignorance. You have been unaware of
your true nature and therefore you have become overwhelmed with grief. But now
you have cried out for God. You have cried out for righteousness. You have cried
out for me. When you cry for me, I will take care of you and give you everything
you need."

You all cry for so many different things, but do you cry out for God? Do you
shed tears when there is a decline of righteousness? When you do, the Lord will
establish himself in your heart, teach you his highest wisdom, and make you an
instrument in his mission. For this, you must have courage and inner strength.
Krishna told Arjuna, "You should never have any kind of weak-heartedness. It is
only after you remove such weakness from your heart that the divine power will
enter and reside in your heart. If you do not have courage, even sheep will
frighten you, not to speak of evil-minded men. You must have the capacity to
face all circumstances. If you run away in fear, even monkeys will attack you.
But, if you have a stick and stand your ground, the monkeys will not come near
you. Whatever the circumstance, face it squarely and do not show your back. Then
will you be able to achieve what you set out to do."

The essence of this teaching is;, "Be courageous! Be fearless!" Courage is the
primary instrument for achieving any kind of success. You need to have more
courage and more determination. But you should not have blind and foolish
courage. Courage must be accompanied by discrimination; only then will success
be assured.

Sixteenth Chapter

BANISH IGNORANCE - AND SORROW WILL LEAVE YOU FOREVER

To gain wisdom, you need to undertake the practice of inner inquiry. In this
practice you dissociate yourself completely from your mind and your thoughts. It
is identification with the mind and its impurities that causes bondage. In this
connection, Krishna told Arjuna, "Timidity, grief, sorrow... all these
weaknesses and fears that you are experiencing are associated with the mind.
What is the reason for this sorry state you find yourself in? It is the
impurities in your mind, Arjuna. You have identified yourself with this impure
mind, and as a result you are suffering."

Embodiments of Love,
The first thing Krishna did when he started speaking was to diagnose Arjuna's
malady. Arjuna was suffering from ignorance. He was ignorant of his own true
nature and the true nature of everyone else. Because of this ignorance, Arjuna
came under the spell of delusion and duality. He had fallen prey to the
impurities in his mind. He felt the anxiety of separation. As a result he became
despondent. He was overcome with grief and sorrow. The cure for this disease of
ignorance is wisdom. Therefore, Krishna started his teachings by expounding on
the path of wisdom .

Your True Nature Is Eternal Joy

Life may be thought of as a flow, where different energies, feelings or states
of being come together and then separate again. These are moments of
transition;, when a particular ephemeral quality changes to its opposite, or
when a particular time period changes to another. For example, the junction
between night and day, between sleep and waking or between health and illness
are times of transition. The coming together of happiness and sorrow is also
such a time. At the very moment of transition, you are neither happy nor sad. At
that time when you transition from one feeling to another, your mind is in
equipoise and you are not bound by either emotion. But you do not remain there
for long. Soon you move into the opposite quality, you feel happiness or fall
into sorrow, and you come under the sway of that feeling. Of course, you aspire
only for happiness and not for sorrow, but to permanently achieve that you must
transcend all these temporary feelings.

When you become aware of the transitions you realize that your unchanging truth
is neither of the opposites which you cycle between in life. The path of wisdom
reveals to you your essence which is eternal joy. Your true nature transcends
all these temporary joys and sorrows. When you are identified with your eternal
self, you are not be affected by the pairs of opposites. The path of wisdom
teaches the way to eternal joy through the practice of detachment and
discrimination. This practice must be based on unwavering love for the divinity,
present everywhere.

The Body Is the Outer Garment That You, As Pure Spirit, Wear
In the Gita, you will find reference to the master of the sense organs, and to
the one who has acquired control over his sense organs. Krishna was the master
of the senses and Arjuna had gained control over the senses. But at the
beginning, Arjuna was steeped in body-consciousness and was not in control at
all. Arjuna began worrying after he started thinking about the future
consequences of the forthcoming battle with his relatives and friends. He was
deeply concerned with what might happen following the destruction of these
people. In other words, Arjuna was thinking only in terms of body-consciousness.
The body can be thought of as a vessel or a container or apparel which the
individual soul puts on. Just as it is natural to throw away a dirty or a worn-
out article of clothing and wear a new one, in the same way, you also give up
this body and put on a new one. Krishna showed that death was very much like
getting rid of an old piece of cloth.

When ordinary people hear that the body can be thought of as a dress that you
put on and take off, they get some doubts. After eighty or ninety years when old
age has had its effect, one can easily accept that the body has become like a
worn-out cloth. Then one would agree that these old clothes should be left
behind. But if a person dies during youth or manhood before old age has set in,
it would amount to leaving new clothes behind. Suppose a body of twenty years is
left behind, how can it be called an old worn-out cloth? That is obviously a new
cloth. Krishna answered this doubt with an example.

Suppose you had gone on a pilgrimage one year and while there you had purchased
a piece of cloth. You brought the cloth home and kept it in a closet. Then after
five or ten years, while putting some clothes in storage, you came across this
piece of cloth and remembered that you had bought it many years earlier. You
took this cloth to a tailor and got a shirt made. One day while wearing this
shirt, you bent over to sit down and the back of the shirt tore. You thought it
was a new shirt, but how quickly it had become torn! Why did it last only for
such a short time? It tore because the piece of cloth was old; the shirt was new
but the cloth came from old stock. Wearing a body and spending only a little bit
of time in it may appear on the surface as if you are discarding a new body. But
actually it is of old stock. It has come to you from many past births.

Here is another example that will help you to understand this. There are two
individuals, a young person and an old one. The young man who is 18 years old
has been striking a stone repeatedly, giving it twenty powerful blows with a
hammer, but it does not break. He sits down to rest. Then an elderly person
comes along and with only two strokes of the hammer breaks the stone. What is
the reason for this surprising result, where the stone did not break after 20
strokes given by the strong, young person, but was quickly broken by a feeble
individual of 80 years of age who gave it only two strokes? The mistake in
thinking is to count only the two strokes given by the old man, believing that
the stone had given way after the impact of those two strokes. But in truth, it
gave way after 22 strokes. After the 20 strokes given by the young man it was
given an additional 2 strokes by the elderly person; then it broke.

This Body Is Only One of Many You Have Worn

Similarly, you may have done a number of spiritual practices and enjoyed a
variety of spiritual experiences in a previous birth, after which you gave up
your life. Now in this life, you resume your spiritual journey and even before
you attain old age you may gain spiritual fulfillment. In thinking about this
kind of thing you may be taking only the present life into account, considering
only the efforts and consequences of the actions of this birth. But in the eyes
of the Lord, all your past lives, all your past efforts and past consequences
are considered. Krishna said, "Dear child, in the end, each body is destroyed by
time. Know that you have existed in countless bodies and have gone through
countless cycles of births and deaths for ages past, as far back as anyone can
count."

The very meaning of the word for body in Sanskrit, is 'that which wears out'. It
is born as a lump of flesh. During its growth it becomes a beautiful attractive
body, but then ultimately it becomes old and loses its strength and
attractiveness. The body is an inert, insentient thing. During a lifetime it
undergoes a number of changes and then eventually gets worn-out. But now you may
have a doubt. How can the body be called inert and insentient? It is talking, it
is walking, it is living, it sees, it hears, it feels, it experiences pain, it
is full of activities. This living body cannot be called inert. But, once you
wind the mechanism of a watch, it also starts working and moving. From that
moment on, the hands of the watch will be going around and the bell will be
chiming every hour. But that is not sufficient reason to say that the watch is
alive. Because of the power it got when you wound it, this watch functions
properly. In the same way, because of the life energy given by God, your body
talks and performs various functions. Without the divine principle animating it
the body cannot function, just as the watch cannot function without being wound.

But now another question arises. A watch is working but it does not change its
form and size, whereas a body will be growing. How can you account for this? If
it is merely an inert thing how can it grow? Inert things do not grow. But if
you sweep the floor and collect the dust and put it in a dustbin, even that heap
will grow. When you go on feeding this body with all sorts of food, this body
also grows. As the food heaps up inside, the body grows. A heap of dust may grow
but you cannot say that it has life. Similarly, just because you find your body
growing you cannot infer that it is alive. The body itself is just an inert
thing. But it is full of consciousness, because its very basis is divinity.
Always remember that basis. It is this divine consciousness that supports and
activates the living principle in all beings.

Ignorance is Being Unaware of Your True Nature

When Krishna called Arjuna ignorant did it mean that Arjuna had no education?
No, it did not mean that at all. Arjuna had mastered a great number of skills;
he was well trained in the martial arts, in the art of administration and many
other professional skills. But in the field of spirituality he had no knowledge.
Here he exhibited real ignorance. People use their capacities and faculties to
specialize in one particular field and develop a proficiency in it. Some people
use their faculties for mastering music, others write poetry, others develop
skills in painting and sculpture. Among scientists, one person will achieve
excellence in the area of physics, another in the area of chemistry, another in
mathematics, still another in biology. In that way they may have made
extraordinary contributions, each in his own particular area. But they do not
know much about other areas of knowledge.

The only one who has complete mastery and proficiency in all areas is God. That
is why he has been described as omniscient. One who is omniscient is also
omnipotent and all-pervading. Only God has these three qualities, omniscience,
omnipotence and omnipresence. Knowing the past, present and future, and knowing
that Arjuna was ready, Krishna undertook to teach Arjuna the great spiritual
truths. He told Arjuna, "Recognize the ephemeral nature of the body and never
forget its unchanging basis. With that divine basis as your focus, discharge
your duties. To begin with you must get rid of all your attachments. You are
overwhelmed by attachment to the body. This attachment is very dangerous. It
will destroy all your powers of discrimination." There is a small story to
illustrate this.

The Danger of Being Attached to The Body

Once upon a time Indra, the lord of the celestials, was cursed to be born as a
pig on earth. Being born thus, he was spending all his time living a family life
in dirty, muddy water. The sage Narada, while passing by and seeing this pig and
its family, recognized Indra reduced to that lowly form. Narada, who loved Indra
dearly, took great pity on him. Narada spoke to the pig, "Indra, look at what a
state you have degenerated into. How did this happen? How could you, a great
deity with unlimited power, the lord of all the heavenly regions, have come to
this? But never mind, don't worry, I will get you out. I will use all my
accumulated powers of penance to help you." He spoke to him very
sympathetically, lamenting that one who should be enjoying all the luxuries of
heaven had been put into such a miserable state. How very unfortunate Indra's
life had become, Narada thought.

But, Indra, in the form of the pig, replied, "Narada, why are you coming in the
way of my happiness? The joy that I am getting in this dirty water I will not be
able to get anywhere else. The wonderful life that I am enjoying here with my
wife and children in this mud hole I cannot even get in heaven. Why have you
come here to meddle with my life and get in the way of my joy? Please go your
way and leave me be." Indra, who was under the spell of the illusion of
attachment, did not realize his pitiful condition. Narada had to summon Indra's
own weapon, the celestial thunderbolt, to render that pig body asunder and free
a much-relieved Indra from his prison of attachment and body-consciousness.

When you are under the spell of attachment; you will be completely deluded. This
delusion is due to the irresistible power of maya, which veils your truth and
keeps it hidden from you. If you want to destroy this power of illusion, you
must develop your knowledge of the true self. Therefore, Krishna took it upon
himself to start out his teachings by instructing Arjuna in self-knowledge. It
is only after you have the direct experience of your eternal self, that you can
truly do your work and discharge your duties properly. Without this knowledge
you will not understand even the mundane daily activities relating to the world.

Listening to spiritual teachings can help you only to a small extent. When you
are listening to the Gita you feel so happy and so full of joy. It all seems so
simple. But this elation you experience is just a temporary phenomenon. When you
undertake to put the teachings into practice many real problems and difficulties
arise. But you must persist in your efforts. The teachings will do you little
good unless you put them into practice. Whatever you have heard and whatever you
have read you must enter into and completely make your own. Then you will gain
something truly worthwhile.

You Must Live the Teachings

A great sage, while on a pilgrimage, reached a village in the south of India. In
the temple of this village a number of people had assembled. A learned teacher
was expounding the teachings of the Gita. The teacher was reading the text, the
disciples would repeat the verses and then the teacher would give the
appropriate commentaries. One particular disciple was found sitting in a corner
profusely shedding tears. All the other people were holding the Gita and were
repeating the lines, listening to the teacher's words very attentively. Their
facial expressions would constantly change as the text was being expounded.
Sometimes they would be joyful, sometimes serious. But the disciple sitting in
the corner was not having any experience like that. His facial expression did
not change at all. He was only shedding tears.

The sage observed all this. He addressed the man and asked him, "Why are you
crying? When the Gita is being expounded in such a joyous way, what is the
reason for your sadness?" The man replied, "Master, I do not know who you are. I
do not know Sanskrit. I cannot pronounce the verses. Since I do not know
Sanskrit I do not want to repeat these verses in the wrong way because I may be
committing a sin that way. Therefore, I was just picturing in my own heart
Krishna giving this Gita to Arjuna there on the battlefield. Krishna was seated
in the driver's seat, Arjuna was sitting behind him in the chariot. I was crying
because I was imagining Krishna having to turn his head back for such a long
time, trying to convince Arjuna of these great truths. Keeping his head turned
like that must have given him a great deal of pain. If only Arjuna had been
sitting in front and Krishna in the back, then it would not have caused so much
trouble to the Lord. Thinking of that hurts me very much."

The sage recognized that here was a true devotee. The man was experiencing so
much love for Krishna and had immersed himself so deeply in identifying with the
Lord giving the Gita teachings to Arjuna, that he had become a part of Krishna,
himself. The sage concluded that experiencing such feelings was far greater than
merely listening to and repeating the Gita verses.

Even now, while the Gita is being expounded, some of you are writing everything
down reverently in your notebooks while some of you are holding the Gita in your
hands and following the verses, trying to learn them. But these are all just
outer activities which will not evoke very deep feelings of devotion. If you
want your heart to become completely saturated with the essence of the
teachings, you must seek the inner experience. Do this by putting the verses
into practice in your daily life. Even if you practice only one of them it will
be more than enough. What is the use of taking down a hundred of them? If you
fill your head with all the contents of the book, your head will be just another
book. What counts is what you get imprinted on the book of your heart. Even if
only one of these teachings is imprinted in your heart that will be all that is
needed. Let your heart become saturated with love. That is enough. Instead of
filling your head with scholarship and book knowledge it is far better to fill
your heart with love.

Ignorance Must Be Completely Dispelled

Krishna said to Arjuna, "There is no meaning in your grieving and lamenting,
basing all your feelings on these outer bodily attachments and relationships. Go
inside; let your mind become introspective. Then you will be able to understand
all the things that I am expounding. You are grieving for people for whom there
is no need to grieve. You are making yourself miserable without reason. You
should not suffer so. You are feeling all this sorrow because your heart is full
of ignorance. Drive this ignorance completely out of your heart. It is only when
there is not even the least vestige of ignorance left in your heart that you
will be capable of understanding wisdom."

Ignorance is like fire. Suppose a fire is extinguished almost completely, except

for just a few glowing embers. If a breeze comes up, sparks from these few coals
may develop into a huge conflagration. Therefore, there should not even be a
remnant of the fire left. Ignorance is also like sickness. Suppose your disease
is almost cured but there is only a small vestige of it left. If, after coming
home from the hospital, you give up the proper diet, it may quickly develop and
spread again. There should be absolutely no remnant of disease left.

You can also compare ignorance to being in debt. Suppose you have discharged all
your debts; there is only one small loan of a hundred dollars left. But if you
let the interest accumulate, what will happen? The debt will start piling up
again. Therefore, you should discharge your debts completely. In the same way,
if there are any latent impressions of attachment and desire left in your heart,
your sorrow is likely to flare up and grow. That is why Krishna admonished
Arjuna, "If you retain even the smallest trace of attachment in your heart,
whatever I teach you will become useless. You must completely destroy all your
attachment which has been fed for so long by the ignorance that is beclouding
your heart. To help you do this, I am teaching you the path of wisdom."

The wisdom teaching is an extremely important part of the Gita. Once you
understand the difference between the true self, the divine atma, and the false
self which is associated with worldly things, then all the other teachings will
become very easy to understand. You have to spend a number of days in
concentration, trying to understand from the very core of your heart the
distinction between the real and the not-real, and then detach yourself from the
not-real. That is the central teaching of the path of wisdom.

Each word of these teachings is a rare jewel. It is only when you completely
understand the nature of the wisdom path that you will be able to understand the
Gita in full and live a life free of grief and sorrow.

Seventeenth Chapter

MASTER YOUR SENSES AND THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BE YOURS

Whatever you seek, wherever you look... whether you look for it here on earth or
in the heavens or in the nether world... all that you will ever find are the
five elements, and only the five elements. In all the worlds there is nothing
else. Whatever you have ever desired, whatever you have ever used, whatever you
have ever lost, all these myriad of things are but varying expressions of the
same five elements.

Embodiments of Love,
Everything in the universe, everything that has ever been created, everything
that will ever be conceived of, is made up of the gross or subtle aspects of the
five elements, namely, space, air, fire, water and earth. These countless
variations of the five elements have been and are forever changing with time.
They are all temporary, endlessly cycling from one name and form to another.
The Transitory Nature of All Things
The flower which has blossomed today will be dried up tomorrow and it will be
decomposed a few days later. Food that has been cooked today will be spoiled
tomorrow and becomes poisonous the following day. Once it has become spoiled you
cannot get the fresh food back. The beautiful form of today will have turned
ugly by tomorrow. Even atoms making up the matter in the moon may in time end up
here on earth, and atoms making up matter here on earth may go to the moon.

Every seven years all the atoms which constitute the human body undergo a total
change. It would be foolish indeed for you to think that the body and the sense
organs which are made up of the five elements are permanent, or that any object
made up of these elements has any lasting value. Only the senses will be
hankering after such external, transitory things.

The Gita has shown that this impermanent complex of five elements which we call
the body, mind and senses, consists of 24 principles. It is made up of the five
gross sense organs, the ears, the skin, the eyes, the tongue and the nose. These
reach out to the sense objects through the subtle sense organs, comprising
sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. These gross and subtle senses are
inextricably related. Without the subtle the gross cannot not function. For
example, you may have eyes but no sight, you may have ears but no hearing, you
may have a tongue but no taste.

The 24 Impermanent Principles

In addition to the gross and subtle senses there are also the five life energies
which vitalize all bodily functions. One of these is related to breathing,
another to elimination, a third to circulation, the fourth to digestion and the
fifth to the upward flow which energizes the higher centers. Besides the 15
principles enumerated above, there are the four faculties comprising the 'the
inner instrument'. This inner instrument is made up of all the different aspects
of what we know as 'mind'. It consists of the thinking faculty which analyzes
and reacts; the intuitive faculty, also known as buddhi, which knows the deeper
purpose of life and discriminates between the real and the unreal; the
subjective individual expression or ego self which is associated with the
personality; and the reservoir of feelings and memory wherein the effects of
past actions are stored.

All of the foregoing are contained within the five sheaths. These sheaths can be
thought of as various bodies interpenetrating one another in a successively more
subtle way, each one finer than the previous one. The grossest sheath is the
food sheath which comprises the physical body. It is made up of physical matter.
Next, the first of the subtle, intangible sheaths, is the vital sheath. It
relates to the life breath and physical energy. Then there is the mind sheath
which relates to the lower mind. The fourth sheath is the intellectual sheath.

It is associated with the higher mind wherein the buddhi, the intuitive,
discriminating faculty, is contained. These last-mentioned three sheaths, the
vital, the mind, and the intellectual, all make up the subtle body of man.
Finally, there is the bliss sheath, the subtlest of all the bodies. It is known
as the causal body. It is beyond all aspects of mind. It is the source of all
mind stuff. Within it, only a thin veil of ignorance remains to hide the true
self, which is pure bliss.

The Immortal Self Beyond the Ephemeral Individual

Together these 24 principles comprise the individual being. The wisdom teachings
deal with these various principles. Their purpose is to help you realize the one
transcendent principle which is beyond all these. That is the atma. It is the
immortal self, the one reality that underlies all these bodily principles, but
which is in no way affected by them. It is true and unchanging, whereas these 24
are just manifestations of ignorance, constantly undergoing change. Together
these 24 principles constitute the illusion which makes you appear as a separate
being. If you go on spending your life depending only on these changing
qualities, how will you ever be able to attain the eternal bliss which is your
true nature, and which is not in any way influenced by these transitory things?

The joys that you experience through your sense organs, that seem so delightful
in the moment, are likely to give you sorrow later on. Such joys come and go;
they are not permanent. Krishna strongly emphasized that you should not believe
in these sense organs and be led astray by them. However educated you may be,
whatever office you may hold, whatever position you may have, unless you gain
control over your senses you will not be able to gain peace of mind. Inner peace
can be obtained only by controlling the sense organs. Perhaps you think that
controlling the sense organs is too difficult for you to undertake, but in the
Gita, Krishna taught a number of different ways which can help you succeed in
mastering them.

The Noble and the Ignoble

Krishna said in the Gita that there are two types of people, the noble ones and
the ignoble ones. The noble ones are those who follow the right path, the sacred
path. They seek the company of great people and practice their teachings. As a
result, they experience the great spiritual truths and enjoy the inner life of
the spirit. Opposed to them are those who are full of unsacred thoughts and have
impure hearts, who are under the spell of ignorance and live an unrighteous
life. Their evil behavior can be said to be the direct opposite of the exemplary
behavior of the noble ones, just as darkness is the opposite of light.

Therefore, we can describe these two categories as that of gods and demons, or
beings of light and beings of darkness. Krishna said, "Arjuna, I thought up to
now that you were noble, that you were a true knight, but I see that you are
entering the wrong path. You are getting steeped in darkness. You are following
unsacredness. It would be wrong to call you noble. You are proving yourself to
be otherwise."

Krishna gave Arjuna various such admonishments in order to encourage him to make
a heroic effort to manifest the qualities of true nobility. He told him, "The
primary cause of your present grief is your attachment, and the basis for your
attachment is ignorance. It is out of ignorance that you allow your senses to
govern your actions. If you want to free yourself from attachment and sorrow
then you must control your senses. You have to clearly understand the nature of
the senses. In the journey of life these sense organs are important; they are
like the horses of your chariot which can take you to your goal. But only when
you have full control over these horses will the chariot and the person riding
in it be safe. If you leave them uncontrolled it is inevitable that the chariot
and its occupant will come to grief. Therefore, if you want to reach the goal
safely you must take charge of these horses. In other words, you must assert
absolute control over your sense organs."

The Nature of the Sense Organs

When Krishna spoke of the sense organs he mentioned that they have the capacity
to measure. For example, the tongue determines the taste of foods, deciding
whether a thing is sweet or bitter. It does this by measuring the relative
sweetness and bitterness of the food. Similarly, the ears determine whether some
music is melodious or not and the eyes discern the beauty of objects seen. In
this way, all the senses measure different qualities. Krishna also spoke of
certain limitations of the sense organs, as ordained by God to insure their
right use. For example, you can use the nose for smelling and for breathing. If
you use the nose correctly, you are obeying the commands of the Lord and will
surely benefit thereby. If, instead of using the nose for breathing and smelling
good things, you use the nose to inhale noxious drugs, then you are not using it
in the way specified by God.

As for the tongue, you have the Lord's gentle reminder, "Child, use this tongue
to talk sweetly and not to hurt others' hearts. Use words which give them joy."
The other function of the tongue must also be attended to. Use your tongue to
take in fresh, wholesome food which is full of vitamins and proteins. On the
other hand, if you use your tongue and sense of taste for smoking cigarettes or
drinking alcohol you will be misusing the tongue. Then you will be disobeying
the commands of the Lord and you will come to harm. In this way, you should use
all of the sense organs for the specific tasks which have been assigned to them
by God. Then you will be fulfilling the purpose for which each instrument has
been given. This kind of regulated behavior will help you to achieve your life's
goal.

As a result of the functioning of the senses, you may experience joy or grief.
This joy or grief that you feel does not come from the senses themselves. It is
only after the senses have come into contact with the sense objects that you
will experience these feelings. For instance, suppose you are on a protracted
visit to a friend in a neighboring town, and while you are away something
happened in your home. No matter what happened, whether good or bad, you would
experience neither happiness nor grief, joy nor sorrow, as long as your ears had
not heard the news. But once you get a phone call and came to know what happened
at home, if the news is good you would feel joy and if the news is bad you would
feel sorrow. It is only after the senses became associated with the sense
objects that the joy or grief would have come to you.

Those Bound by the Senses Are Destroyed by the Senses

There are a vast number of sense objects in the world, but you should see to it
that your senses do not come into contact with too many of these. They are all
impermanent things. By becoming captivated with small things your whole life
becomes small and impure. You can see this in a number of living beings which
are victims of one or two senses. For example, when a deer hears some melodious
music, it becomes fascinated by it and can easily be captured. Therefore, a deer
is bound by sound. A huge elephant can be controlled through the sense of touch
and therefore becomes bound by touch. In this way a number of animals can be
bound and controlled through different sense organs. Take for example a moth.

When it sees light it gets strongly attracted to it; it becomes bound by the
light and may be destroyed by it. In a similar way, a fish will swallow the bait
and gets caught because it is bound by taste. And a bee will enter a flower and
be bound by the power of smell; there it can get trapped for the night when the
flower closes its petals.

Each one of these beings is bound by one of the sense organs; but man is bound
by all five of them and, therefore, he is even more vulnerable than all these
animals. Here is a small story:

Once upon a time a great sage undertook a tour of the country. He considered
each one of the five elements as his teacher. Once he happened to go to the
shore of the ocean; he was enjoying the waves and the various aspects of the
ocean. As he was watching, along came a wave and brought some debris to the
shore. He noticed that the moment any dross fell into the ocean the waves came
and pushed it back out. The sage thought to himself, 'Why should the ocean which
is so deep and vast find it necessary to throw out this little bit of filth?
Could it not allow even such a small impurity to remain with it?' Then he went
into meditation. In that meditation he understood that if the ocean were to
allow any impurities to stay in its waters, these impurities would accumulate
day by day and, in time, cover the whole ocean and pollute it. He decided that
the ocean must have resolved not to allow any debris or impurity to come into it
from the very beginning; in that way it had been able to remain clean and pure.
In the same way, right from the start, you should see to it that impure thoughts
and ideas do not enter your mind, even in a small way. Not even the minutest
impurity should be allowed to enter your heart. Before such an impurity can
establish a foothold, you must immediately throw it out. If you give room to it,
thinking that after all it is only a very insignificant thing and it cannot
really harm you, then it will start growing in the heart. Therefore, if you
understand the functioning of the senses and learn to limit them to the right
use for which they were intended, then you will be able to benefit from them and
not be disturbed by them. If instead, you allow the senses to rule you and bind
you, neither joy nor peace of mind will be yours. Here is another small story to
illustrate this.

The King Who Was Ruled by His Five Wives

Once there was a great king who had five wives. But his wives never listened to
him. He might have been a king to everyone else, but he was not lord over his
own wives. And so he was suffering very much. He had a crown on his head, but
inside his head there were only worries. 'I have become a slave of these wives
and I am suffering very much,' he thought. 'Is there anyone in the world who is
not afraid of his wife? If there is such a one, how does he control her? How
does he manage not to be dominated by her?' To inquire into this directly by
asking individual citizens would not have been considered proper, so he decided
to hold a public meeting and invite all his male subjects to attend. There were
two stadium-sized tents put up at the meeting-ground. One was erected on one
side of the field, the other was put up on the other side.

The king announced that the first tent was meant for people who had controlled
their wives, and the second one was meant for people who were controlled by
their wives. All the male citizens of that country started pouring into the
capital; they all went straight into the second tent. The king went there and
found that this huge tent, the one that was intended for those who were
controlled by their wives, was filled to capacity. He got a little courage from
this for he realized that he was not the only one controlled by his wives. But
before beginning the meeting he saw one lone person waiting in the first tent
which was meant for those who had control over their wives. That mammoth tent
was totally empty except for this one man. The king was overjoyed to see him
there. He went to him and told him how glad he was to see that at least one
person in his kingdom had gained control over his wife.

The king questioned him, "Tell me, good man, what is your secret in controlling
your wife?" The man, trembling with fear, replied, "No sir! No sir! That is not
how it is. I cannot control her. It is I who am being completely controlled by
her." The king said, "Then why did you come into this tent?!!" With his knees
shaking and stammering his words, the man replied, "My wife ordered me to come
into this tent. She forbid me to go into the other. That is why I am here. My
wife ordered me not to go inside the tent where the slaves of their wives are
staying. She made me go into this one." The king got very irritated with the man
and commanded him, "You must leave here immediately! Under no condition can you
remain in this tent! Go and join the others in the second tent!" The citizen
turned white with fear; the blood rushed out of his face. He got down on his
knees and implored the king with his hands folded in supplication, "My lord,
please listen to me! You may punish me. You may do anything you wish to me. But
I am terrified of disobeying my wife. Please! Don't make me go to the other
tent!" The king then realized that there were no people anywhere in his kingdom
who were not slaves of their wives.

The Mind With Its Five Wives, the Senses

This king is the mind, and he is never able to satisfy all his wives, namely,
the senses. The eye demands, "Take me to a place where only the most beautiful
sights are to be seen." The tongue demands that only the tastiest of foods be
supplied to it. The ear commands that the most melodious sounds be played for
it. The skin desires to feel only materials which are the most pleasing to
touch. And the nose wants to smell the very best perfumes in the world. Who can
satisfy all these desires of the senses? There is no coordination and
cooperation among them. If you yield to the sense organs, they are going to give
you a lot of trouble. Right from the beginning you must find a way to bring them
under absolute control. Then you will have accomplished something truly
worthwhile. The real hero in this world is the one who has managed to completely
control his senses.

When the senses make their demands do not listen to them. Instead, turn your
mind towards the higher intellect. Let it decide what is to be done. Then, the
lower mind will follow and, in turn, give its commands to the senses. This way,
the senses will have to obey. That is the proper way to curb the senses. A
person who bases his life on his lower mind and senses will come to ruin and
become worse than an animal. The wise one bases his life on his higher mind,
which is his intellect, his power of discrimination and discernment and
intuition. One who follows his higher mind becomes the most excellent of human
beings. If you base your life on your higher mind, your buddhi, it will take you
straight to the final goal. But if you base your life only on the lower mind and
the senses, then every moment new changes will come about. It will become
difficult to predict what will happen to you and where you will land. It is
something like crossing a raging river or a storm-tossed ocean in a small boat.
You do not know when your little boat will get flooded and when disaster will
overtake you.

Being Ever Vigilant in Controlling the Senses

There was a great saint in ancient India. He was an extremely virtuous person; a
truly wise man. He had complete control over his senses. One day it became known
that his end would come soon. All his disciples assembled there and gathered
around his bed. He was suffering from intense pain in the throat. He made heroic
efforts to transcend the pain. He seemed to want to say something, but he could
not speak. The disciples were very eager to find out what message their master
was trying to give them during his last moments on earth. The disciples tried to
help him in every way and implored him, "Swami you want to tell us something. We
are eager to hear your message."

Summoning his last bit of energy, the sage found his voice and said, "My dear
children, I have been followed all this time by maya, the power of illusion.
Illusion told me, 'Everyone else has become my slave, no one has succeeded in
becoming free of me, except you. You have been able to completely control your
sense organs and, thereby, you have been able to conquer me.' Then I replied,
'Maya, I may have conquered you up to now, but you know and I know that I have
not fully conquered you yet. There is still a little life left, and a few
breaths are still to come. Until my very last breath has been taken, I will not
relax until I have conquered you totally.' My dear children, until now I have
been able to control the senses and conquer maya, but I do not know whether I
will continue to succeed until my last breath. During these last few moments, in
order to free myself from maya, I have been thinking only of God and praying to
him with all my heart." Then he fell silent, and thus he consummated his life.

As this story shows, you must be careful until the very last breath of your life
not to yield to the sense organs. To realize the immortal self you must control
the outgoing senses. Therefore, sense-control is an integral part of the path of
wisdom, as taught by Krishna. Once you gain full control of the senses, you will
easily be able to master the spiritual path.

In the beginning you may be subjected to a certain amount of difficulty. When

you learn to drive, you first have to go to an open field and practice there. It
is only after you have learned to control the car and have mastered the art of
driving that you can take the car onto the main thoroughfares and the narrow
streets of the city. If you try driving in city traffic before that, it will not
only be difficult for you but also dangerous. Similarly, once you have mastered
the senses and are unaffected by the allurements of the world, then you can face
any situation without concern or problems.

Victory Over the Senses Through Self-Inquiry

To master the senses you should develop a broad view. Enter into the spirit of
inquiry and find out who is the true self and who is the false self. After
developing this discriminating power you can safely move in the world while
continuing to keep your sight steadily on the goal.

The wavering senses can never give you permanent joy. Only when you gain the
knowledge of the true self, the immortal self, will you experience true joy. All
other knowledge and education will only help you to eke out a livelihood.
Knowledge of the self alone is true education. With that you will be able to
enjoy the unity of all existence. Once you identify yourselves with the divinity
that is in everything then there can be no further clashes arising from any
sense of difference. When you experience everything as God and see the whole
world as God, then even the practice of discrimination falls away. Once
everything is seen as one then there is no further need for discrimination.

As Baba has mentioned before, the senses can be very dangerous; they can be like
horses running wild. If you do not use the reins to control them, they will run
away with the chariot and go wherever they like. Rein the senses in with the
help of your mind. Let your taste, your smell, your sight, your listening, your
touch, all the various sense impressions come under your control. A number of
times Swami has been telling you that you should not see or hear too many
things. It is only when you see a thing or hear about it that you start thinking
of it. Once you think of it you develop an attraction towards it. Then you want
to possess it. Once you talk about a particular thing then you think of its
form. Therefore, whatever may be the object, the first thing you should ask
yourself is, 'Does it have any defects or flaws?' When you realize its flaws,
that it will not last, that it is ephemeral, then you will not develop any
attachment for it. If you want to reach God, you must be free of false vision,
false speech and a false attachment to any sensory impressions.

Control of the Tongue, the First Step in Sense-Control

Spiritual practice begins with control of the tongue. The reason for this is
that the tongue has two functions. The eyes have only the one function, that of
seeing. Similarly, the ears have only the one function, that of hearing. And the
nose has only the one function, that of smelling. But the tongue has two
functions; it can speak and it can taste. Therefore you must make a special
effort to control it. You have no right to criticize others. You have no right
to think badly about others. It is far better for you to think of your own
shortcomings. See the good in others and remove the unreal in yourself. If you
have not even developed the power to inquire into your own true self, then how
can you assume the power to look into others? First get fulfillment in your own
life. It is only after you have saved yourself that you can become an instrument
to save others. Therefore, you should not use harmful words or give
condescending looks or think impure thoughts towards any other person. Spend
your time only in good thoughts, in good listening and in good talk.

In order to exercise self control you have to do some spiritual exercises.

Constant practice and detachment are essential for gaining control over your
senses. If you understand that all things are impermanent, you will be able to
gain control over your senses and develop detachment. Your true nature is
nobility. You are not base and ignoble. Enter into good paths and develop your
own innate sacredness. Only when you have the light of wisdom shining
inextinguishably within you, will you be able to help others through your good
thoughts, good sight and good counsel. Those who do so are veritably gods. Those
who display the opposite traits are demons. Demons seek only darkness. But you
must resolve to give up darkness and fill yourself with light. If you choose the
path of light, then whatever has been your past, the Lord will accept you and
shower his grace upon you.

The Pure Brother of the Impure Demon King

The brother of the lord of the demons surrendered to Rama and fell at Rama's
feet. Seeing him, the generalissimo of Rama's army warned Rama, "He is the
brother of Ravana. Like his evil brother he is a demon. He loves darkness. Just
because he has had some quarrel with his brother and left him, you should not
trust him and give him shelter. Even though he now proclaims himself to be an
enemy of his brother, it is still dangerous to believe him." Rama smiled
patiently and told his commander, "Brave warrior, I accept him not because he
has opposed his brother, but because he has surrendered himself to me. I will
give protection to whoever comes to me and says, 'I am yours'. I do not care who
he is."

The commander then said to Rama, "You have given this demon your protection, and
assured him that when this war is over and his brother, Ravana, is overthrown,
you will make him the king of Lanka. But suppose this evil Ravana came to you
now and surrendered himself at your feet. What kingdom would you give him?" Rama
replied, "If Ravana had such fine ideas and were to surrender himself to me, I
would ask my own brother Bharatha, who is ruling the kingdom in my behalf, to
step down. And I would make Ravana the king of my capital city of Ayodhya. I
have never asked anyone for anything; asking for favors is not my way. But if
Ravana were to have such good thoughts, I would ask Bharatha to give up his
throne."

Throughout the ages, divine incarnations have been espousing sacred thoughts and
broad ideas such as this. In that way, they set an example for the whole world
to follow. The point of this story is that whatever your past, whatever impure
and unsacred environment you may have been brought up in, if your resolve is
pure and you surrender yourself fully to God, he will take you in. Start by
mastering your senses. This is the first step in leading a noble life and
getting closer to your divine source. Sense-control is the basis for all sacred
action and for enjoying a worry-free life.

Krishna said, "Arjuna, there is nothing that you will not be able to achieve
once you have gained complete control of your senses. You will be master of the
world. But, if you are a slave of the senses and get caught up in desire, you
become a slave of the world. Therefore, master your senses. Make the senses your
slaves. Only then will you be able to function as an instrument in my mission.
Arise, Arjuna! Learn to control your senses! Do not get elated by joy or
dejected by grief. The primary reason for this grief of yours is ignorance. You
do not know the difference between truth and illusion, between reality and
appearance, between the true self and the false self. Begin now to discriminate
between them. Practice discrimination and your senses will come under control.
Then all will be yours."

Eighteenth Chapter

YOU ARE THE INDWELLER - YOU ARE NOT THE BODY OR MIND

Krishna said, "Arjuna, I am your very self. Focus your mind steadily on me, and
with your mind fixed on me do your duty."

Embodiments of Love,
If you do your work, being aware of your own reality, you will accomplish great
things. Actions performed with the awareness of the atma, your true self, are
free from bondage. To carry on your work while at the same time, being fully
aware of your identity with the atma, requires perfect control over the senses.
Sense-control is an essential precondition for being illumined. Once you enjoy
complete control over your sense organs you can be described as a person imbued
with the highest wisdom.

When you consider all the pairs of opposites, such as joy and sorrow, heat and
cold, profit and loss, honor and dishonor, with an equal mind, and are
established in your true reality, then you have gained the characteristics of a
wise man. It is the nature of the wise to treat everything equally. Once you
recognize the nature of the senses, it will be easy for you to follow the path
that leads to true wisdom. But if instead of identifying yourself with the atma,
you continue to identify yourself only with your body-mind complex, then it will
be impossible for you to obtain that exalted state.

You Are The Atma, You Are God

Krishna told Arjuna, "Always remember that you are the indweller, not the body.
You are the one who wears the cloth; you are not the cloth itself. You are the
resident of the house; you are not the house. You are the witness, the knower of
the individual, you are not the individual. But now, Arjuna, you are mistaking
yourself to be this limited individual. Enjoyment of impermanent things can only
give you impermanent happiness. Eventually, all these momentary pleasures and
enjoyments will only turn into sorrow. Keep your mind steady and discharge your
duties, remembering the atma. Do not think or worry about birth and death, or
the joy and sorrow which accrue to you. Birth and death are relevant only to the
body. They do not refer to you. You are not the body. You are the permanent
entity which is free from birth and death. You have neither a beginning nor an
end. You were never born and you will never die. Nor will you ever kill anyone.
You are the atma. You are all-pervasive. Verily, you are God. Your very self is
God and God is your self."

After realizing that it is in the nature of fire to produce heat, would anyone
grieve over the fact that fire burns? Would anyone suffer from sorrow after
learning that ice cools? The very nature of fire is to burn and the very nature
of ice is to cool whatever it comes in contact with. In the same way, everything
which is born will some day die. This is natural. Whatever is free to come must
also be free to go. Therefore, you should not brood over things which are
natural, like birth and death, joy and sorrow. Recognize the inherent defects
and weaknesses of all things. One day or another, everything existing in the
world will have to undergo change. The same five elements which are to be found
everywhere in the world are also to be found in you and in everyone else.

Whatever things you desire, whatever things you are seeking, even if you pursue
your search for them into the farthest corners of the world, you will discover
that you are really just seeking the five elements. These five elements are all
you will ever find in any of the things of the world. But since they are already
part of you, what is the point of seeking them in the things outside? It is
natural for you to seek and aspire for something which you do not have. It is
unnatural for you to seek and aspire for something which you already have. There
is only one entity which transcends the five elements. That is the divinity.
That is what you should aspire for.

Keep the Atma in View and Nothing Can Harm You

Wisdom is seeing the one everywhere. That all-pervasive unity is the atma. Seek
out this unity and keep it constantly in view. When all your actions are based
on the atma, they become sacred and pure. When all your activities are performed
for the sake of the atma or for the pleasure of God, then you become sanctified
and filled with spiritual wisdom. A number of sages, right from ancient days,
have made heroic efforts to attain this supreme state of being immersed in the
highest wisdom.

Once upon a time, the King of Greece, Alexander, reached the banks of the great
river on the north-western border of India. He intended to enter India, to
conquer and plunder it. For this purpose he had come with a mighty army. In
those days there were no royal roads; the few roads that existed were more like
footpaths. The king crossed the banks of the river and entered the forest with
his army. The scouts preceding the army found a yogi lying under a tree, with
his legs spread out across the path, deep in sleep. This yogi had attained the
stage of enlightenment; he was a truly wise man.

One soldier went up and awakened the yogi and commanded him to move out of the
path. But the yogi was totally indifferent to the orders given by the soldier.
He did not move. The Greek soldier started threatening the yogi and boasted that
the great emperor of Greece, Alexander, was coming with his army and that this
emperor had decided to invade India and plunder the entire nation.

While the soldier was shouting at this yogi, Alexander arrived on the scene. The
Greek soldier was enraged to see that even after the emperor had come, this yogi
remained completely unconcerned. The yogi was not paying the proper respect and
courtesy due to the emperor. At this, the soldier threatened to cut off the
yogi's head. The moment the yogi heard that the enraged Greek soldier wanted to
cut off his head, he started laughing and stood up. On the yogi's face there was
no trace of fear. He was amused, but at the same time he remained completely
serene. The emperor saw the great effulgence on the yogi's face and spoke to
him. "My soldier has just threatened to cut off your head and yet you seem very
happy and unaffected. If you were an ordinary person you would immediately fall
at his feet, beg for pardon and try to save your life. But you are only smiling.
What is the meaning of your behavior?"

The yogi replied, "I am the eternal truth. I am pure awareness. I am infinite
bliss. I am forever free. Your weapons cannot harm me. Fire cannot burn me.
Water cannot wet me. Wind cannot blow me away. I was never born and I will never
die. I am the immortal atma, the one true self. I am indestructible. Thinking
that I am just this body, your soldier is threatening to destroy me by cutting
the head off this body. Isn't that ludicrous? Hearing this provoked me to
laughter."

When the emperor heard these words he was astounded. He thought to himself, 'It
is natural for people to get frightened when someone threatens to kill them and
they are about to face death, but rarely will anyone laugh and be so happy when
they are about to die. In India there are people who have attained such a high
spiritual state that they are not even afraid of death. How can I conquer a
nation such as this? No, I won't succeed here with my weapons.' Having concluded
that India could not be subdued by him, he turned his army around and penetrated
no further into India.

Sense-Control Is Easy When You Understand the Senses

From times immemorial, great beings such as this yogi have existed in India,
and, in the way in which they conducted their lives, taught other nations the
highest truths about spirituality. They showed the spiritual heights that could
be achieved through control of the senses. People who do not know the method of
controlling the sense organs get lost and stray onto the wrong path. But,
actually, controlling the senses is quite easy. When you do not understand the
fickle nature of the senses, all attempts to control them are fraught with
difficulty. But once you understand their limitations controlling them becomes
easy, because you realize that all the pleasures and enjoyments you gain through
them are filled with sorrow.

The first step in controlling the senses is to investigate the defects and
problems associated with the various objects of the world. For the sake of
temporary joys and pleasures you are subjecting yourself to many difficulties
and problems that will hound you long after the little fleeting joys are
forgotten. A person who has a disease may take some food items which are not
prescribed in the diet and feel temporarily happy. Having ignored the diet and
taken food which is prohibited, he may experience some temporary joy; but in a
short period of time he will experience the unhappy consequences of his acts. It
may even lead to a dangerous situation. In the same way, man, yielding to
temporary joys, will suffer a great many problems in the long run.

How many powerful kings have there been who have created huge mansions and
palaces, enjoyed luxurious comforts, eaten a variety of luxurious foods,
traveled in luxurious cars and indulged themselves in countless vanities, all
the while thinking that they were enjoying all the great pleasures available on
the earth? What has happened to them in the end? Ask yourself, 'Is a king who
indulges himself like that really enjoying the luxuries or are the luxuries
enjoying him?' You will have to conclude that it is the luxuries which are
enjoying him. It is he who is being enjoyed by the sense objects. They are
literally eating him up. Soon he becomes weak, he becomes diseased and gets old.

If the king were really enjoying the sense objects, then he should have attained
unbounded health and strength from them. But, as he is the one who is being
enjoyed by the sense objects, he loses all his health, and his life span gets
reduced. Not recognizing this truth he temporarily experiences some happiness.
He fixes his vision on these transient sense objects without realizing the dire
consequences which ultimately must come his way because of his indiscriminate
desire to enjoy the senses.

Realize the Transitoriness of All Sense Objects

A certain man went to a palmist who told people's future by reading the lines on
their hand. The man showed the palmist his hand. The palmist told the man that
there was a line on his hand which signified that he would become very wealthy.
The moment the man heard this he was overjoyed. After looking at his hand some
more, the palmist told him that the line also showed that he would get a lot of
honors. The man felt even more happy.

Then, after examining the hand still further, the palmist said, "You are going
to occupy a very high position." The man felt so happy, it was as if he had just
been told that he would become prime minister that very day. After a while, the
palmist told him that he was going to have many children. Joy was now heaped on
joy. Then after telling him all these things, the palmist said, "But your life
span is going to be very short!" The moment the man heard this, all his joy left
him; he got totally dejected and shrank down in despair.

Whatever may be your property and wealth, whatever position you may occupy,
whatever honors you may get and however many children you may have, if you only
have a finite life span, then what will be the use of all these things in the
long run? If you are not going to be alive then how can any of these things be
of lasting value to you? How many kings and how many emperors have lived? In
what circumstances have they left this world?

In the history of India, there once was an emperor who ruled over all the
hundreds of kingdoms comprising this huge land. He was most powerful, but did he
not have to leave this world? In ancient times, there was an even mightier
emperor who ruled over the entire world; could he take even a handful of earth
with him? King Rama built a magnificent bridge spanning the ocean from India to
Lanka; where is that great bridge now? So many kings have come and gone. Not
even one person can carry a handful of dust with him. If you think and reflect
over the past history of mankind, you will be able to understand how impermanent
this world really is. Therefore, two important defects to be noted about the
worldly pleasures: They are impermanent and they are harbingers of misery.

All that you see in the external world is but a reflection of what is inside
you. There is only one thing which is real and true and all-pervasive. That
reality, that truth, is always within you. It is eternally true, it is eternally
auspicious and eternally beautiful. Make every effort to realize that permanent
truth. Live in that auspiciousness. Be one with that divinity. It is the very
embodiment of all beauty.

Focus on the Divinity, Your True Self, and Do Your Duty

After explaining the qualities of a wise man to Arjuna, Krishna directed him to
enter the battlefield and fight. Krishna told him, "Keep all your attention on
me. Concentrate on me alone. Obey all my commands and do your duty. This body
has been given to you for the purpose of discharging your duty. It is because of
your actions in the past that you have gotten this birth. Now, you must use your
actions to sanctify this life."

The only light in this world which does not get extinguished is the light of the
atma, the light of the immortal self. As long as there is electricity, the
electric bulbs will burn. The moment the power goes off, the bulbs do not shine.
Only as long as there are batteries in the flashlight, the flashlight will
function. In the same way, when the senses are not receiving any power, they
will cease to function. Even the sun and the moon, which do not need either oil,
batteries or electricity, will lose their effulgence in the end.

When the sun and the moon are likely to lose their light, what about you? When
this is true of these mighty mountains, then what about this small pebble that
is you, deluded as you are, with body-consciousness? Krishna told Arjuna,
"Because of the grief arising from your attachment to relatives and friends, you
are getting drowned in ignorance. You are being washed away by the tears from
your own eyes. Arise! Awake! Do not stop until the goal is reached!" Thus
Krishna rescued Arjuna and put him on the right path.

Intellect Surpasses All Your Senses

The sun and moon shine in the world but they cannot illuminate God. The light
shining inside the house can illuminate the objects inside but it cannot
illuminate God. How do you know that the sun and the moon shine and that fire
burns? On what basis can you declare that these things are bright and luminous?
It is because of your eyes that you can recognize their brightness. If you did
not have eyes the radiant light of the sun and moon would not be seen by you.
But as for these eyes, what is it that helps them to see? Even when you are
sleeping or when your eyes are closed there is an unmistakable radiance shining
in your awareness. It is your highest intellect, your intuitive faculty, your
buddhi;. Therefore, you can conclude that even more effulgent than your eyes is
your intellect. There is a small story to illustrate this.

There were two friends, a blind man and a lame man;. They would go begging
together from village to village. The blind one had good legs and the lame one
had good eyes. The lame man sat on the shoulders of the blind man. So, with the
help of each other they were able to go from village to village. Once, on their
way, they came across a beautiful field of melons. The lame man said to the
blind man, "Brother, there are some very fine-looking melons in this field. Let
us go into the field and eat some; afterwards we can take a little rest and
proceed on our way."

The blind person said to the lame person, "Brother, be careful. There may be
some watchman keeping an eye on the field." The lame man said, "No, there is no
one there." The blind man went on, "Please tell me if there is a fence or a gate
around this garden." The lame one said, "There is neither a gate nor a fence. We
can go and have our dinner." The blind person immediately said, "Brother, these
melons must be very bitter and inedible, otherwise why is there no watchman, no
fence and no gate to protect them?"

A person may not have eyes to see, but if he uses his intellect he is greater
than the one who sees with his eyes. Therefore, it is really the intellect which
lends a shining quality to the eyes. But from where does the intellect get its
power? The intellect is shining because of the atma. Therefore, because of the
atma the intellect is illuminated, and because of the intellect the eyes shine
and can see, and because the eyes see, the effulgence of the sun and the moon
can be perceived, and because of the sun and the moon the whole world shines. We
see that the ultimate source that illuminates everything is the atma. Therefore,
it is the atma which you should worship.

A Wise Man Never Forgets the Atma

It is only when you keep the atma constantly in view, in everything you do, that
you will be able to reach the stage of true wisdom. A wise man is sometimes
thought of as having something to do with worldly people. This confusion comes
about because it has been said that, 'When everyone is awake, the wise man is
asleep, and when he is awake all the other people are sleeping.' According to
such a definition, you would conclude that those who work nightshifts, such as
the night watchman and the station master, who are awake at night when others
are sleeping and asleep during the day when others are awake, are all wise men.
But, obviously, this is not the correct meaning of the word.

All those people who base their lives on this impermanent world, will be fully
awake to this world and its objects. The wise man on the other hand, will be
asleep and indifferent to worldly objects. Ordinary people will not be alive to
the beauty of the atma; they will be sleeping through that. But when it comes to
this world and its sense objects they will be fully alert and awake. Therefore,
a wise man is one who is asleep to the principle of the world and who is fully
awake to the principle of the atma. A wise man is not one who has renounced the
world and gone to the forest. Krishna said, "Do your work in the world. Live in
the midst of the things which are necessary for your daily life. But keep your
attention and concentration constantly on the atma. That way you will gain
abiding wisdom. "

Here, a doubt may arise. Why does such a wise person need to work at all? He
will have no interest in work nor have any ambitions regarding work. And yet for
the good of mankind he will take up work. If a wise man had the attitude that he
did not need to work, then he would not be able to inspire others to work. The
sage has to set an example for ordinary people so that they will be able to
follow him. "Therefore, Arjuna," said Krishna, "Become an ideal human being. You
are very close to Krishna. You are his relative and you are very dear to him.
Keep the inner significance of all these teachings in your heart. I want to
raise you as an example to the world. I will use you as my instrument. You will
be my instrument in doing many great things in the world."

Whatever Krishna has said is for the welfare of the entire world and for setting
an ideal example for mankind. All avatars undertake activities which are
absolutely sacred, but ordinary people will not be able to recognize these
activities as divine activities. In this context, Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna,
I have not accepted the job of being the driver of your chariot because I like
this task and want it so much. It is not for the sake of my love of horses
either that I'm doing this. Don't you think that I have chariots and horses of
my own? Do I need to drive your chariot and your horses? This body-consciousness
that you have saturates your whole being. It is in your blood. I am enacting the
entire play and I have taken on this task of driving your chariot in order to
see to it that you become permanently cured of this disease of body-
consciousness."

God Does Not Wish to be Praised by Anyone

Arjuna frequently addressed Krishna using an affectionate phrase that referred
to Krishna as his closest and dearest relative, the light of his heart. Krishna
once told Arjuna when they were sitting on the banks of a sacred river, "Arjuna,
I do not like to be revered by you as your dearest relative, without reason."
In the world many people will freely praise God, using terms of great respect or
familiarity, but God will not accept such adulation. Praises will be very common
for people to utter in order to gain favor. It is as if they were going to some
government officer to get into his good graces. But, praise which has no real
basis, is like perfumed water. It can be smelled but it cannot be taken as
nourishment. You will hear all manner of flattery but it will not touch your
heart. God accepts only true feelings that come sincerely from the depths of
your heart.

Krishna said to Arjuna, "I don't want to ask you to give up calling me your
closest relative, and yet you are saying it out of praise rather than because it
is really true. Therefore, I want to become your relative so that you can say it
sincerely, knowing in your heart that it is true." Shortly afterwards, Krishna
offered his sister in marriage to Arjuna and became Arjuna's brother-in-law.
Krishna's brother Balarama did not approve of this marriage, and would not even
come to the wedding. Instead, he went off to a forest. From that time on,
Balarama did not feel much love for Krishna. But, for the sake of harmonizing
thought, word and deed, Krishna was willing to risk his relation to his own
closest kin, his older brother, who as a divine being had taken birth for the
express purpose of assisting Krishna in his mission.

This trait that we see here in Krishna, of putting principles before

considerations of kinship, is truly extraordinary. His actions were always
commensurate with his words. Unity of thought, word and deed is the very nature
of divinity. It is also the true nature of man. Whatever you think must be in
harmony with what you say, and whatever you say, that you must do. This harmony
of thought, word and deed is the deeper meaning of Swami's often repeated
statement, 'The proper study of mankind is man.'

Krishna told Arjuna, "I want to make an example of you to the whole world, that
is why I am teaching you here on the battlefield the qualities of an enlightened
being. First, I will turn you into a wise man and then, through your example, I
will teach others. To begin with, you must understand this most important
principle, which is that you are not the body; you are the indweller. When you
understand that, you will no longer be bothered by body-consciousness.

The body is temporary. God is eternal and permanent. You are not the cloth but
the one who wears the cloth. The body is the temple of God, but the indweller is
God himself. This world is impermanent and full of sorrow. There is no use
taking refuge in it. All the people you know will change. God is the only fixed
entity. He is the one lamp which does not get extinguished. Take shelter in him.
He is the supreme light. He is the light of the soul. He is the undiminishable
light of pure consciousness. He is the one light, without a second."

Through such inspiring words, Krishna transformed Arjuna's heart which had been
filled with impurities. By explaining all these noble principles to him, Krishna
made Arjuna's heart bright and pure. Krishna turned Arjuna into a true wise man,
one who manifested all the divine qualities.

Nineteenth Chapter

SENSE CONTROL - THE KEY TO THE HIGHEST WISDOM

Once you have gained true detachment, then even the attainment of the highest
heavenly worlds will seem trivial and insignificant to you. Arjuna asserted,
"Krishna, even if I were given rulership over the three worlds and I were made
master over all of creation, it would mean nothing to me. I have no interest in
any of these things."

Embodiments of Love,
Arjuna had achieved great strength of renunciation at the time when he
surrendered himself and was ready to receive the Gita teachings. At that point,
he had detached himself from the world, and attached himself firmly to the
transcendent principle manifested before him in the form of Lord Krishna. Such
detachment from the world and its objects, and attachment to the divine
principle, which is your true essence, must become your goal also. This is the
destiny of every human being. In the course of your spiritual evolution, you
will, as will every other individual in time, develop renunciation and
dispassion towards the objects of the senses, and at the same time, develop an
intense aspiration to realize the atma within.

Sense-Control, the Foundation for Self-Knowledge

If you were to construct a house, even a simple and ordinary one, wouldn't you
take great care to lay a proper foundation? If that is true for a little house,
then how much more care must you take in laying down a solid foundation for the
great treasure house of self-knowledge. It is to provide such a foundation that
Krishna, in his teachings to Arjuna in the Gita, emphasized the need to control
the senses by developing a strong detachment from the objects of the world. This
is an essential requirement for building up a solid foundation. If the
foundation is not strong, the mansion of self-knowledge will not last long. It
will soon collapse.

Renunciation; does not spring up suddenly to become the foundation of self-

knowledge. Such strong detachment does not just happen on the spur of the
moment. This quality must be steadily developed and practiced, together with
devotion and sense-control. If you want to light a lamp, you will need oil, a
container to hold it, and a wick. In the same way, in order to light the lamp of
wisdom, there is a need for detachment, devotion and control of the senses.

Detachment can be thought of as the container and devotion the oil. Sense-
control may be compared to the wick. If you bring these three elements together,
the Lord himself will come and light the lamp of self-knowledge inside you.
Before lighting this lamp in the heart of Arjuna, Krishna told him that he first
had to establish complete control over his senses.

Such strict control over the senses is not something which can be achieved by
most people. Even if they were to make an effort in this direction and achieve
some measure of sense-control, ordinary people would not continue with these
efforts because they would be convinced that by giving up sense enjoyments their
very life would come to an end. They consider sense enjoyments as the only true
source of happiness. This is what they experience day after day. But, the
unbounded joy of self-knowledge is something they have not experienced even
once. When you have a bird in your hand, would you let go of it and try to catch
the two birds which may or may not be hiding in the bush? Reasoning in this way,
they consider it madness to give up the sensory enjoyments which they enjoy
every day in order to gain the bliss of the atma through self-knowledge, an
experience which they have never known.

Sense Enjoyment Is An Illusory Joy

It is for these reasons that you will find many people criticizing the doctrine
of detachment and control of the senses which is taught in the Gita. They say it
is not really useful and applicable for ordinary people in their daily lives.
But this criticism arises because they are ignorant of the real process that is
taking place. All the momentary pleasures which they enjoy are just reflections
of the true joy that always exists in the heart. By thinking again and again of
a particular person or object, the mind departs from its own resting place and
goes out to that person or object and takes on its form. Then it deludes itself
into thinking that it is enjoying that object. But this can never be real joy.
It is only a limited kind of joy which is imagined in the mind, a reflection of
the true inner joy which is the source of all joys. To make this clearer
consider an example.

A small baby may be sucking its thumb and drinking its saliva. It gets delight
from this because it thinks that it is getting milk out of its thumb. But, the
fact is that the saliva, which the baby thinks is milk, is coming from its own
mouth, not from its thumb. It deludes itself into thinking that the source of
its joy originated from outside its mouth. Consider another example.

A dog has found a hard bone. Once he has this bone it becomes very dear to him
and he does not want to share it with any other dog. So, he takes it to some
solitary place. There, he looks at it, admires it and starts gnawing on it.
Since it is an old bone it is very hard. With all his enthusiasm and strength he
goes on biting until he dislodges a tooth from his gums. Some blood spills out
and oozes onto the bone. The dog is convinced that the blood has come out of
that bone, and he immensely enjoys the taste of it. But the blood has not come
out of the bone; it has come out of his own mouth. The dog does not realize the
truth. Just as in the case of the baby, he has become deluded by following the
imaginations of his own mind.

All Joy Comes Only From the Self

In a similar way, the ignorant think that they are getting joy out of the sense-
objects. But, this limited joy that they experience does not come from outside
of themselves. Ever present within their own hearts is true joy. It is this
unchanging inner joy that gets superimposed on an object, making that object
appear as if it is the source of joy. In this way, they believe they are
deriving joy from the things of the world, but their joy is merely a small
reflection of the unlimited joy that is hidden within them. Once they delude
themselves into thinking that the joys and pleasures which they have in the
outer world are true experiences, and the joy which they might get from the
inner world is only an illusion, they lose all interest in practicing
detachment. Then they give up pursuing the transcendental joy and continue to
pursue only the worldly enjoyments which they believe can be obtained from
sense-objects.

If an object truly gave joy then everyone would experience that joy to the same
extent. If the joy were really inherent in the object itself, then the joy
derived from that object should be the same for all people. Yet we know that
this is not the case. If a particular object gives joy and pleasure to some
people, the same object may be repulsive to other people, giving displeasure to
them. For instance, some people may greatly enjoy cucumbers, whereas others may
not like them at all. If joy were an integral part of cucumbers then there would
be the one experience for all. Cucumbers would not give a feeling of joy to some
and a feeling of dislike to others. Why is there this difference in reaction
between different people? Why are there things which you may like that are
disliked by others? It must mean that the joy you experienced was not directly
associated with the object but that this joy came from within. The feeling that
you experienced was but a reflection of your own inexhaustible inner source of
joy.

Sense Objects Can Only Give Temporary Joy

These likes and dislikes that you now feel, are just temporary phenomena. They
are not permanent. Consider for a moment that at some time you felt very hungry.
Now suppose that you were served some food which you found very tasty. What made
this food so delicious? If you examine this question carefully you would
conclude that it was your hunger that made everything taste so good. As long as
you were hungry you found the meal that had been served to you to be most
delectable. But after your hunger was satisfied, even if the most sumptuous
delicacies were placed in front of you, they would not have appealed to you.
When you are hungry, ordinary food will taste quite good, giving you great joy.
But once your hunger is satisfied, even the most delicious food is not at all
tasty to you. The only way that you can understand this change is that all these
likes and dislikes emanate directly from you, the individual. They do not come
from the objects as such. All your feelings of joy and sorrow emanate from the
inner being, not from the external objects.

Ordinary people think that the joy or pain which they get from being with people
whom they like or dislike comes from those people; but it is not so. It is one's
own likes and dislikes which are responsible for one's joys and sorrows. It may
be observed that when people have a strong liking for others, holding them very
dear, then whatever be the attitude or the actions of that person, they will
still like them all the same. What is the reason for this unshakable fidelity,
this affectionate regard one may have for another person, despite a number of
unsavory things which that person may be saying or doing? The reason is that
when you like someone, the things which that person says and does will appear
sweet to you. When you consider a person as very dear to you, then you feel that
you love that person very much. This quality which you call 'love' is really a
feeling of attachment in you that you are directing towards the other
individual. In such an attachment both the love and the joy which appear to be
present, originate only from you. Whether or not the other person has similar
feelings, the feelings which you actually experience come from within you, only.
They are not a part of the other person, at all. A similar thing was told by a
great sage to his wife, in the ancient scriptures.

The sage said to his wife, "Dear one, you do not love me for my sake but for
your own sake. Everything you love and hold dear, you love only for the sake of
the atma, your highest self;. The atma is the dearest of all, and it is for its
sake that someone is dear to you. These feelings you have for others are all
just manifestations of that great love you feel for your own true self."

Body-Consciousness Taints the Pure Love of the Self

In the whole world each person, whoever he may be, will love another only for
his own sake, not for the sake of the other. If he loves an object, he loves it
for the self alone, and not for the sake of that object. That self is the atma,
the true self. But, when the pure love of the atma becomes tainted with body-
consciousness, and the senses hold sway, attachment and selfishness arise. This
inevitably leads to sorrow.

The body is impermanent. Death; is certain for all. Even if someone were to live
for a hundred years, he would still have to face death one day. Everyone knows
that. But, isn't it strange that the would-be dying are crying and feeling sorry
for those who have already died? Everyone is sure to meet death and so everyone
may be thought of as among the dying. Yet, even though they themselves are
dying, people feel sorrow and grief when thinking of someone who has died. It is
as if death were a totally unusual and unexpected thing, rather than the natural
conclusion that must come to all. This sorrow that comes on, particularly when
someone near and dear has died, can only be there because of attachment. After
knowing full well that death is certain, if you still worry about somebody, it
must be due to the attachment which you have developed for that body. It is this
attachment which is responsible for all your grief. Therefore, when someone has
died the primary cause for sorrow is attachment, not love.

Basically, every human being, at all times, is a seeker of joy. He thirsts for
joy and does not ever want sorrow. Man always aspires for profit, never for
loss. That is his very nature. Profit, joy and bliss are inherent in his makeup;
they are at the very core of his being. Every man, right from the beginning,
would like to have only gain, not pain. For a business man, the first thing he
thinks of is his profit. Here in India, when measuring out some staple such as
rice, if the number of kg's goes above six, then the shopkeeper will not say
'7', but '6 + 1'. This is because the word for seven also means 'weeping'. The
shopkeeper will use another word to avoid uttering this unhappy word. In this
way, man never wants to face unhappiness and loss. He wants only profit and
gain, and the happiness they bring.

Self-Knowledge Gives the Greatest Joy

Of all the possible profits and gains, the supreme profit of all, which gives
the greatest joy, is self-knowledge, the knowledge of the atma. That is the joy
you must seek and make your own.

Consider a beautiful rose; the moment you look at a rose joy emanates from your
heart. Similarly, when you see a handsome person or any beautiful thing in this
world, you instantly feel joy. Many people undertake trips to go sight-seeing.
Why do they go? In order to derive joy from it. Therefore, you can see beauty in
nature and you can see beauty in people, and you can derive great joy from all
the beauty that you see. But how long does this kind of joy and beauty last? The
rose that you picked today starts to dry out tomorrow; then its beauty gets
lost. The moment the beauty fades away, the joy that you previously derived from
it also subsides. It is the same with the different stages of life: childhood,
youth, adulthood and old age.

Childhood may be said to reflect divinity. During early childhood the individual
does not suffer much from hatred, jealousy, anger and so forth. Jesus said that
since children do not have any really bad qualities, they could be considered
divine. During that period of life, there are no bad thoughts or bad traits,
either in the mind or in the body. Little children are beautiful because they do
not have impure feelings arising out of impure thoughts. As they grow up they
gradually develop tainted qualities. The moment such negative qualities grow,
the beauty of the small child fades away. Therefore, it is the coming in of
impure thoughts which lead to impure words and impure deeds, which then results
in the child losing its beauty.

Beauty and Joy

We see that the beauty possessed by a person is transient. It gradually fades
away and, therefore, it cannot give permanent joy. Even a new-born donkey is
very beautiful, but gradually as it grows up it develops a big stomach, gets a
splotchy coat, and becomes ugly to look at. As long as there are no negative
qualities everything looks beautiful. But, whoever be the person or whatever be
the sense-object, you will find that its beauty is limited and, therefore, the
joy derivable from it is also limited. Joy and beauty always go together. What
is the one principle which has permanent joy and permanent beauty within itself?
It is the atma! It never changes; it has no modification. In fact, it has no
form at all. Beauty and joy are its form.

Although joy naturally emanates from the core of your heart, you think that you
are deriving joy from the sense-objects and the sensory organs. But this is not
so. All joy comes from within you and you have deluded yourself into thinking
that it comes from something outside. The scriptures speak of the ethereal joy
that emanates from the heavenly world of the creator. The joy which can be
experienced through the contact of the senses with the sense objects is
extremely small when compared to that creative joy. The sensory joy may be
described as a drop in the ocean of bliss that is the creator's joy. But even
this vast ocean of joy experienced by the creator of the universe, is itself as
small as an atom when compared with the boundless joy that radiates from within
your spiritual heart. That is the primary source of all joy. It is the joy of
joys. The heart can be compared to a most splendorous and effulgent light which
shines everywhere. Try to understand this brilliant spiritual light, which is
ever luminous and all-pervading, and is your inner truth.

The Light of Atma Illuminates Everything

During the day, the sun illuminates the various objects of the world; at night,
the moon plays a similar though lesser role. Therefore, you can declare that it
is the sun and the moon that are responsible for the luminous nature of the
world and its objects. But during the dream state you also see various things;
where are the sun and the moon in that state? The sun that you see in the
daytime during your waking state is not there in the dream state; nor is the
moon there, nor is any other source of light visible there to illuminate the
various objects. Yet you can see an entire world, namely, the world of the
dream. What is it that illuminates that world? In the deep-sleep state there is
absolute darkness. There is neither knowledge nor wisdom in that state. But how
do you know that it is dark? What is it that enables you to apprehend this
darkness?

The deep-sleep state has been described as the unconscious state; the dream
state has been described as the sub-conscious state; the waking state has been
described as the conscious state. There is a fourth state which transcends all
these other states; it may be described as the super-conscious state. In the
super-conscious state you are able to see everything, everywhere, and enjoy
bliss supreme. What is the light that illuminates this bliss state and permits
you to experience this unmitigated joy? That light is the effulgence that
emanates from the atma. It is this light which illuminates all the other states
as well and enables you to see them.

In the Vedas, the sages have spoken of this super-conscious state. They
declared, "We are able to see a state which transcends the others, including the
darkness of the dreamless state. Beyond the dreamless state is the supreme light
of the atma which illuminates the waking, the dream and the deep-sleep states."
To understand this a little better, consider an example from the waking state.
When you close your eyes for a minute, what exactly are you seeing? You will say
that there is nothing there, only absolute darkness. But then the question
arises, 'How is it that I am able to perceive this darkness? Since I seem to see
it and am able to describe it, there must be a light of consciousness which
illuminates this state and enables me to see even this darkness.' That light is
the light of the atma It is only through this transcendental light that all the
other lights can shine.

We celebrate a festival of light in which we light a candle, and from that one
candle go on lighting all the other candles and lamps. This first light is the
basis for lighting the others. It is because we have this first light that we
are able to light so many others. For living beings, this first light is the
divine light of the one atma. With it, all the individual lamps, representing
the countless individual beings, are lit in turn. It is because of this divine
light that the eyes are able to see. It shines from inside and illuminates all
beings. But it is not only the source of all living beings, it is also the
source of all objects and all the external bodies of light, such as the sun and
the moon.

You may wonder, since you cannot see this divine light, how can you be sure that
it illuminates all these other objects and lights. Here the example of a battery
will be instructive. You cannot see the electrical power which is in the cells,
but if you switch on the current flow you can see the light in the bulb. If
there had been no electric power in the cell, you would not have been able to
get any light from the bulb. The body may be thought of as an electric lamp
driven by this battery cell which is the mind; your eyes are the bulb and your
intelligence is the switch which controls it. In this battery cell of the mind,
a very special type of energy derived from the atma is stored. In ordinary
electric batteries the power gets exhausted very quickly, but the atmic current
flows continuously through the mind. The Vedas have declared that the mind is
the receptacle for storing the atmic energy. It is this inexhaustible source
that provides the temporary flow of pleasure when some pleasing object is
perceived.

The Joy of the Self Is the Only True Joy

All the joys and pleasures which you enjoy in this world are only temporary, and
are just the reflections of the immeasurable joy which is inside of you. Out of
ignorance you believe that your joy comes from sense-objects and that this
momentary joy is true. But only what is permanent is true. These temporary joys
which are associated with the things of the world are not the true joy. Only the
eternal bliss that is the atma, is true; these others come and go. All the
things that you see in the waking state disappear in the dream state. All the
joys and sorrows which you experience during the dream state you leave behind
when you come back into the waking state. People and objects that you see in the
waking state will appear as changing reflections in the dream state, and then
they get completely absorbed and disappear in the deep-sleep state. In this way,
your joy changes as these states change.

All the worldly joys which you think to be so permanent will give you a great
deal of trouble in the end and lead you to grief. "Therefore," Krishna told
Arjuna, "pay attention only to your inner truth, the basis, from which springs
all manifestations. Then outer appearances and sense-impressions will not bother
you." The basis does not change, whereas the manifestations which depend on that
basis continuously change. If the basis were changing along with the
manifestations, it would be impossible for you to even live. Consider this small
example.

At various times you may have used different types of vehicles, such as cars,
trains or buses, to travel from one place to another. The car might be moving
fairly fast, so might the bus, and even if you are just walking you might be
going quite fast. In each case, this movement will be in relation to the road
which remains steady and unchanging. Suppose along with the moving car or the
moving bus, the road itself is also moving rapidly, as in violent earthquake.

Then what would happen? You would certainly be moving, but you could end up in
any direction. You are not likely to reach your goal despite great efforts and
hardships along the way. In order to reach your goal the road must be steady.
It is because the atmic source, the indweller of every heart, is permanent and
steady that people are able to enjoy the things of the world, which are
impermanent and changing. But, Krishna warned Arjuna, "Do not be satisfied with
these furtive pleasures, which you mistakenly believe come from the world. The
world is fleeting. It is fickle and full of sorrow. It is the ever-changing
outer manifestation. It is not the permanent basis. It cannot lead you to your
truth. How can you count on the world for your support when it is undergoing so
many changes and modifications? Would it be possible for you to derive permanent
bliss from it? Let go of the world and turn towards the transcendental
principle. Turn towards the atma. It is forever steady and unchanging. There you
will find the unending joy that you have been seeking futilely outside in the
world."

Do Not Drive With Your Foot on the Brake

Now, some of you may be thinking that if young children are taught sense control
they would turn into inert, helpless human beings? But nobody is telling them
that they should not make use of their senses. It is only that they should learn
to control them properly. There are brakes in a car, and whenever there is
danger you use the brakes to stop the car. When Swami is asking you to control
the senses and to control the mind, some of you might be wondering if you would
be able to live at all and carry on your routine functions. Swami is not asking
you to drive with your foot on the brake, but to use the brakes when necessary
to control the car, whenever there is some danger. It is when there is some
danger, such as impure thoughts, impure feelings, impure sights, impure hearing
and so on, that you have to exercise control. If you do not have any brakes at
all you will surely come to grief. A bullock which cannot be brought under
control, a horse without reins, a car without brakes, a person without sense
control, are all extremely dangerous and heading for disaster.

"Therefore, Arjuna," Krishna said, "control your senses and your mind, and
recognize the defects that are inherent in all the objects of the world. When
you turn from the changing manifestations and establish yourself in the
unchanging basis, then you will be able to live happily anywhere, because you
will be established in the source of all happiness, the atma, which is eternal
bliss."

The wisdom teachings do not admonish you to give up your family or give up your
worldly duties. Be in the world. Use your senses. But do so in a proper and
ethical way, appropriate to each time and circumstance, never forgetting your
true purpose. The Gita teaches the importance of discipline, of observing limits
in all your activities. The brakes are used in a car for the welfare and
protection of the passengers, so that they can safely reach their goal. In the
same way, the senses must be brought under control and used for the welfare and
protection of the individual, so that it can complete its journey safely. That
is why Krishna was so insistent that Arjuna develop sense-control.

Detachment, Devotion and Sense-Control

This sense-control is something like the wick in the lamp of your heart. Merely
having the wick of sense-control is not enough. You must also have oil, which is
the fuel for the lamp; that is your devotion. And there must be a container
which holds this oil, and that is your detachment. If you have the container,
the oil and the wick, you will be able to light the lamp easily. Still, someone
has to come and light it. That someone is God. Once you have detachment,
devotion and sense-control, then the divinity will come and light the lamp in
your heart. In the case of Arjuna, it was Krishna who performed this sacred act
of lighting the lamp and revealing the splendor of the atma in Arjuna's heart.

Suppose you have some flowers, a needle and some thread, will these
automatically turn into a garland? No. There has to be someone to string the
garland together. You may have gold and precious stones, but without a goldsmith
to create it, you will not be able to obtain a beautiful jewel made out of these
articles. You may have a high intelligence, you may have books containing the
highest knowledge and you may have keen eyes to see them, but without someone to
teach you to read, they will all be meaningless and useless to you.
The atma is always present; it never changes, it never comes and goes. The
spiritual teachings will also be ever-present; they will be there waiting for
you when you are ready to receive them. And, inwardly, you may have an intense
yearning for illumination. All these may be there for you, but unless the true
guru, the spiritual teacher, comes and transmits the immortal knowledge to you,
you cannot become enlightened. If you are ready to realize the underlying
reality of all the objects of the world and to discover the divine principle
within you, then you need the true teacher., the highest source of knowledge to
come and instruct you. To gain the sacred knowledge of the self, that teacher is
the universal teacher. It is God himself who comes to guide you to your goal.

i.He may take on different forms. In the case of Arjuna, the divine teacher was
Krishna, the avatar of that age, and he started by teaching Arjuna sense-
control.
You must take some time to reflect on the deeper significance of all these
teachings on sense-control, which were given by Krishna to Arjuna, not in an
ashram setting but on the battlefield, at the eve of a great battle fought to
preserve righteousness and to counter the forces of injustice and untruth that
had become rampant.

Twentieth Chapter

WORLDLY KNOWLEDGE IS USELESS - WITHOUT SELF-KNOWLEDGE

Krishna taught in the Gita that once you acquire true spiritual knowledge your
troubles, difficulties and sorrows all disappear.

Embodiments of Love,
As long as you identify yourself with your body, you will be exposed to
countless problems and sorrows. The primary reason for having obtained your body
in the first place, is to enable you to undergo the consequences of your past
actions. This is your karma, the results of activities you have engaged in which
have not yet fructified. Why did you accumulate this karma in the first place?
Why did you engage in activities which bear consequences long into the future?
The reason for karma is the desire or attachment you have for some things and
the dislike or repulsion you have for other things. And what is the reason for
this attraction and repulsion? It is because your mind is steeped in duality.

You believe that this world is real and is filled with objects and things which
are separate from you. But, where did this false view, this duality, come from?
The reason for duality is your state of ignorance, the beclouding of your
consciousness by a dark veil that covers the knowledge of your true reality.

The Light of Wisdom Dispels the Darkness of Ignorance

You have forgotten the fundamental unity of all beings. You have become
unmindful of the divine basis of all things. You have lost sight of the atma,
your real self. It is because of this ignorance that you experience so much
grief and sorrow. If you want to be free of this darkness of ignorance, you have
to obtain the light of wisdom. The only thing that can remove darkness is light.
Similarly, the only thing that can remove ignorance is wisdom or spiritual
knowledge. Ignorance has covered the knowledge of divinity and you are not able
to perceive the truth. Just as the embers of a fire are covered by ashes, your
light of truth has been covered by the ashes of ignorance and, therefore, you
have not been aware of your own reality.

You may have the power of sight in your eyes but if there is a cataract covering
the surface of your eyes, you will not be able to see. It is only after an
operation is performed that you will be able to get your sight back. Similarly,
it is only after a spiritual operation is performed and the cloud of ignorance
is removed, that the sun of wisdom will shine freely. It is just like the sun's
rays beaming into a room the moment you pull back the heavy drapes covering the
window. The principle of divinity exists in everyone, so it is impossible for
any person to be completely devoid of wisdom. There is no doubt whatsoever that,
in time, the clouds of ignorance will be dispelled for all of humanity and the
full light of wisdom will shine forth. All will realize their divine state.

When human life is infinitely expanded it becomes the one divine principle;. Man
plus infinity is divinity. When the human mind is expanded to infinity it
becomes the divine mind, it becomes the creative principle which brought forth
this universe. The atma, the self in man, and the divinity that dwells within
him, are one and the same. Add infinity onto yourself and you become the
divinity itself. You will have merged into the atma. Unfortunately, having
become embodied, you have forgotten your divinity, your unlimited infinity. You
are aware only of your limited individuality. If you want to attain your
infinite reality, you must make an inquiry into the divinity which is inherent
within you.

Atma Remains Unchanged, the Individual Changes

Consider a person who has built a house for himself. From the moment he
completed the house he has been considering it as 'his' house. When he dies, the
house goes to his heir, who then starts calling it 'his' house. Suppose, as time
goes on, this new house owner becomes poor and has to sell the house to
discharge his debts. Another person buys the house and begins calling the same
house 'his' house. Now, who does this house really belong to? Does it belong to
the one who constructed it, to the one who inherited it or to the one who bought
it? There is no change in the house. In other words, the object remains as
before. There is a change only in the persons who claim to own it. The house
just continues to be there, but the claimed ownership undergoes repeated change.

In a similar way, there is the unchanging entity, the atma, which, like the
house, remains unaffected by the countless owners who come and go. Each one
claims personal ownership of this inner house which they call I. Each one
believes the I to be their own personal self, but, in truth, it is the one,
unchanging atma. And so this my-ness goes on constantly changing, but the atma
which is being claimed as one's personal property, expressed every time one says
I, remains unaffected by all these assertions.

Is there any medicine to cure this disease of I-ness or my-ness? Both the
revealed and the written scriptures have declared that it is the mind which is
responsible for this possessive nature. It has been said that along with the
five senses of perception, the mind may be considered to be a sixth sense. But
it is not just another sense equal to the other senses. In fact, it is the
master of all the senses.

The Two States of the Mind, Pure and Impure

If there were no mind, neither the motor organs nor the sensory organs would be
able to function at all. For all these various senses, the mind is in the
position of the controller. It acts as the bridge to the inner life of the
person. You may be in a lecture hall and your eyes and ears may be taking in all
that is happening, but, if your mind is not there, if it were to wander off to
your home town to think over some events going on there, you would not register
anything which was taking place in the hall. Afterwards, you might question your
neighbor, "What did the lecturer say? My mind was not here." What is the reason
for your not hearing, although your ears are there? What is the reason for your
not seeing although your eyes are there? The reason is the mind.

If your mind is absent, even if your eyes are here, you will not be aware of who
your neighbor is; even if your ears are here you will not be aware of what is
being said. The inner significance of this is that the mind is the master of the
senses. All the senses should properly be subservient to the mind. When the mind
is in a position of stillness, the senses will not be able to function at all.

The mind has two states. One is the impure mind, which is the thinking faculty,
and the second is the pure mind, which is the seat of deepest feelings,
experienced as the spiritual heart. When the mind allows itself to be
subservient to the senses, it is impure. But, when the mind exercises control
over the senses and follows the dictates of its highest inner knowing, it is
pure. In other words, when the lower mind follows the buddhi, the higher mind,
which knows the dictates of the heart, it is pure. Impure and pure are just
aspects of the same mind. In its natural state, the mind is pure. Through the
thinking process and its association with the senses, the mind becomes impure.
Consider a small example.

The nature of a handkerchief is pure whiteness. The white color is natural to

it. When you use the handkerchief it acquires dirt, and then you describe it as
being dirty. After the washerman cleans it, you again think of it as a clean
cloth. The dirty cloth and the clean cloth are one and the same. The same cloth,
having acquired some dirt, has become a dirty cloth. Once the cloth has been
washed and the dirt has been removed, it has become pure and you call it a clean
cloth. You say that the washerman has made the cloth white. But really, he has
not made it white; whiteness is its natural state. He has only removed the dirt.
Similarly, when the mind absorbs impurities from the senses it can be described
as an impure mind. But when the sense impressions have been removed and the mind
is no longer turned towards the senses, it becomes pure again.

It is in this context that you can understand the meaning of these two states of
the mind, pure and impure. When the mind is intimately associated with the
senses it is impure. Then it is nothing but a bundle of thoughts; it can be
conceived of as the process of thinking itself. In this process of thinking,
revolving around duality and its polarities of attraction and repulsion, the
mind gets dirty. It absorbs the impure impressions of the sense-organs and
becomes impure. At this point it does not have any specific form; it is merely
the thing which thinks.

Give the Mind Some Peace - Turn It Towards God

When the lower mind is free of the dirt and impurities of the senses and is
turned towards the higher mind, it again becomes pure. Higher mind is always
aware of the inherent divinity. When you turn your mind to the divinity, you
will be able to free it from all the troubles and sorrows associated with impure
thoughts which arise from the impressions of the sense-organs. Therefore, you
have to make every effort to turn your mind away from the senses and towards
God. This can be described as meditation or yoga, union with God. This is the
process whereby you cleanse a mind which has become impure, and again make it
pure.

The mind needs a certain amount of peace. Just as the body needs rest, the mind
needs peace. How can the mind get peace? It is only when you control the
thinking process and slow the flow of thoughts that the mind gains some peace.
The mind will always try to go out through the sense-organs toward various
sense-objects. This then, gives rise to the thinking process. If you control
this tendency of the mind to go outwards, and instead turn it inwards towards
God, impure thoughts will diminish. Then you will be using the mind properly,
and giving it some rest as well. This has been described as the yoga of constant
inward-directed practice. Let us look at this further.

How To Cross The Turbulent River of Worldly Life

When you are traveling on a wide, powerful river, what is the most important
knowledge you should possess? You should know how to swim. That comes first;
that takes precedence over all other knowledge. If you go on a great river but
do not know how to swim, however educated you may be, you run the risk of
getting drowned. There is a story for this.

A highly educated scholar had to cross a wide river to attend an important

meeting. The wind and the river current were going in opposite directions, so
the journey was quite slow that day. Now, pundits have the habit of constantly
talking, whether it is to themselves, going on repeating verses from the
scriptures, or whether it is to anyone within easy earshot. On this particular
day the boatman was quietly concentrating on steering the boat in the river.
This pundit, who was the only passenger traveling in the boat, had no one else
to speak to, so he started a conversation with the boatman.

"Do you know how to read and write?" the pundit asked. The boatman answered,
"No, I don't know reading and writing."
"You seem to be quite a strange person," the pundit said, "In these days in
every village the government has established schools, and you should know at
least a little bit of reading and writing."

Just to while away the time, this pundit continued speaking to the boatman. Next
he asked him, "Do you play any musical instruments?" The boatman answered,
"Swami, I've had no chance to learn an instrument." "Well, do you know any of
the latest popular songs?" asked the scholar. "No, I don't even know that,"
replied the boatman.

"What a strange person you are. In every street there is a movie house, and
there are loud-speakers all around it playing the latest hits. And the radio
broadcasts are filled with all the current pop recordings. Shouldn't you at
least take a little of your income to buy a cheap transistor radio and listen to
music?"

The boatman confessed, "I do not even know what a transistor is."
The pundit replied, "If in this modern age you don't even know about a
transistor, you have wasted much of your life; at least a quarter of your life
has been dumped into the water."

He asked the boatman another question, "Do you have a newspaper with you?" The
boatman replied, "I don't have any education at all; what is the use of my
having a newspaper, Swami?" The pundit went on, "Without having an education and
without being able to read a newspaper, you've wasted even more of your life. At
least half of your life has been dumped into the water."

After a few minutes the pundit asked again, "Do you have a watch? Can you tell
me what time it is?" "Swami, the truth is I don't even know how to tell time.
Then what is the use of my having a watch?" the boatman answered. The pundit
rejoined, "Look at how much of your life has been wasted. If you don't have a
radio to enjoy music, and you can't read a newspaper to find out what is going
on, and you don't even know what time it is, then three-fourths of your life has
been dumped into the water."

Meanwhile a strong wind came up and it quickly turned into a powerful gale. The
boat started swinging from side to side and the river was soon in full flood.
The boatman could no longer maintain control of the boat. He asked the pundit,
"Swami, do you know how to swim?" The pundit replied, "No, I never learned how
to swim."

As he was about to go overboard, the boatman said to the pundit, "O Swami, what
a pity! What a waste! You don't know how to swim? Now your whole life will be
dumped into the water."

When you are traveling across a turbulent river, you should know how to swim.
Without knowing how to swim, all your other knowledge of philosophy, physics,
chemistry, botany, commerce, mathematics, political science, etc., will be of no
use to you. In the journey of life, you are traveling on a rushing,
unpredictable river, and you should know how to stay afloat and cross that
river. To swim safely across the river of life, you must have the knowledge of
the atma, and you must develop a strong power of discrimination, to know that
which is useful and that which is useless for crossing this river. If you have
not developed a capacity along these lines there will be no way for you to find
fulfillment in life. You will drown in the river of worldly life.

External Freedom and Inner Freedom

As long as you base your life on wealth, property and worldly things, you will
never be able to derive any real joy. There are two things which every person
has to attain; one is external freedom, the other is inner freedom. External
freedom speaks of independence, being free of external bonds and limitations.
Inner freedom speaks of liberation from the bondage of the senses, having them
under your full control. Every individual should realize both of these freedoms.
In the external world, as long as you are under the control of people who are
unsympathetic towards you, such as some foreign king or ruler, you will not be
able to get real joy. In the inner world, as long as you are a slave of the
senses, then you will also not be able to enjoy real freedom. Even for the outer
freedom, sense-control is important. But for becoming master of the inner world,
the single most important faculty that you must develop is the control of the
senses and thereby gain control over the mind. Once you have control of the mind
you will be able to turn it away from the world and towards God. Then you will
get real joy, both externally and internally, for then you will see the divinity
everywhere.

Control of the mind and control of the senses is the victory that must be won by
all human beings. Up to now you have been craving for different types of joys
and pleasures; you go on uttering prayers for attaining happiness but you are
not making any real effort to discover where that happiness is to be found.
Krishna told Arjuna, "You are deluding yourself, believing that you can get
happiness and peace in daily life. But, you won't be able to get real joy there.
Sense-objects cannot give you the joy that you are seeking. It is only when you
control your senses that you will be able to get peace and joy."

Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, you will have to gain control over
your senses. Be the master of your senses. Do not allow them to get excited and
run after sense-objects. When the senses get excited and you follow them, you
will become weak and forget the Lord. Keep your senses under control and keep
your mind firmly fixed on the Lord. Follow his teaching and directions. Without
his grace your strength will leave you, and you will not be able to undertake
any useful work.

You Need the Lord's Grace to Achieve Anything Worthwhile

As long as Arjuna had the blessings and the company of Krishna, he was a mighty
hero and he was able to accomplish many heroic deeds. Once Krishna left his
mortal body, Arjuna, through body-consciousness and attachment, was overcome
with sorrow and self-pity. He felt that Krishna had left him, and as a result,
he lost all his valor. Arjuna, the great hero, now became weak and unable to
accomplish even the smallest tasks. When Arjuna was bringing the surviving women
and children from Krishna's household to shelter, robbers attacked him in the
forest. Arjuna tried his best to fight against them and to free the women and
children from the grip of these murderous robbers; but he could not do it.

During the many battles of the Mahabharata war, Arjuna was able to fight and
defeat so many great heroes. He was unconquerable, no matter the odds against
him. But, the same Arjuna was not able to even vanquish the robbers in the
forest and rescue the women and children who were under his protection. What was
the reason for this? Until that time, with Krishna at his side, Arjuna had felt
great strength. Not recognizing where that strength came from, he believed it
was his own valor and his own strength that had provided the victories he was
able to gain. But this delusion stemmed from ignorance. Arjuna's strength had
not been his. That strength had been given to him by the divinity.

Even though a person may be endowed with divine strength, he deludes himself
into thinking that the strength he has is all due to his own human capabilities.
So it was with Arjuna. But, once he lost the strength of divinity, he was not
able to accomplish even the smallest thing. Man has been able to undertake many
types of activities because the divinity is inherent in him and has been
providing all his inner strength, sustenance and power. Without this divine
power, man would not be able to accomplish anything. Without the stamp of
divinity not even his smallest undertakings would reach fruition. That stamp is
all-important. Consider the following example.

Let us say that you have made a beautiful envelope out of heavy art paper. You
have written Swami's address on it in colorful decorative script, and you have
enclosed a beautiful letter, carefully written with calligraphy and adorned with
striking colors. The borders of this envelope are also artfully embellished with
many exquisite designs. You have inserted the letter inside the envelope, you
have sealed it and posted it. Yet, despite all your great efforts and skill, the
letter never reached Swami. Why is that? The reason is that you did not put a
stamp on the envelope. All your decorations and all your beautiful handwriting
could not help in getting that letter to Swami.

Even a letter which has been dropped in the postbox at the college hostel will
not reach the temple here, less than a mile away, without a stamp. But with a
stamp on it, a letter could even have traveled thousands of miles and reached
its destination. The postal department will not look at all the decorations, the
ornate letters, the striking colors and designs. They will not pay any attention
to all your beautiful art work. They will only look at the address and check to
see if the envelope has the correct stamp. So, what was most needed was for you
to procure a stamp and properly place it on the envelope.

God's Grace is Earned Through Purity of the Heart

As in the example just given, God will not pay attention to all your elaborate
efforts unless you have addressed your efforts correctly and have procured the
stamp of divinity and affixed it onto your work. How do you obtain that stamp?
Through purity; of the heart. By bringing all your efforts in alignment with
noble values. God does not care for all your scholarship, your accomplishments,
your wealth and position. Worldly-minded people will have their eyes on that,
but not God. God only looks in your heart. What is the use of earning many
degrees and achieving great scholarship in a particular subject if your heart
has not become purified by all your education? It is the values that you
practice every day in the area of truth and honesty which will carry you through
life and be your greatest asset. That is why we emphasize values so strongly in
the system of education we have here at the ashram.

Would a hungry man have his hunger satisfied if you just showed him some
different types of delicious food? Would a poor man be freed from poverty if he
merely heard stories of great wealth? Would a sick man be cured if you just
described to him the various medicines that could make him well? No. And in the
same way, if you merely listened to the great teachings of the Gita you would
not be able to derive much benefit from them. You have attended many discourses
and you have heard many great truths expounded. Now you must put into practice
at least one or two of these truths. Then you will be able to experience real
joy.
For your efforts to succeed and be truly worthwhile you need the stamp of
divinity. Purity of heart will earn for you that stamp. This means practicing
the noble values that the Gita has been teaching. But even before these values
can be put into practice you will have to control your mind and turn it one-
pointedly in that direction. This can happen only if you master your senses.
Therefore, the crucial lesson in all these teachings is the control of the
senses. Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, if you want to accomplish anything truly
worthwhile in this world you must gain control over your own sense-organs." The
same thing was said by Prahlada to his father, the demon-king, "Father, you have
been able to conquer so many worlds but you have not achieved the real victory.
You have not been able to conquer yourself!"

There are Many Beings but Only One Underlying Divinity

If a person has not conquered his own mind and senses, how will he ever be able
to taste the sweet nectar of divinity? To achieve control of the mind and
senses, it is important for you to know the deeper reason for all your efforts.
The ultimate goal of your life is to realize the one divinity that underlies
everyone and everything. You must become established in the one atmic principle
that exists in every heart.

The sun is one for everyone. There is not a separate sun for different beings
and for different species in different parts of the world. There may be
thousands of different vessels all filled with water, standing on the ground.
Some will be earthen pots, some will be brass vessels and some will be silver or
copper ones. Above them in the sky is the one sun, reflecting itself in all of
these vessels. From the many reflections it would appear that there are many
suns, but even though the vessels are all different and the reflections are
many, the sun which is being reflected is only one. The values of the vessels
will also be different; the silver vessel is very costly compared to the earthen
one, nevertheless, the sun which is being reflected is one and the same.

Similarly, right from the highest scholar to the most ignorant dullard, right
from the wealthiest man to the poorest beggar, from the greatest emperor to the
humblest citizen, the bodies and the apparel in which they are clad will be
different, but the one who is the resident of all these bodies, the atma which
is reflected in all these bodies, is one and the same. The clothes that you wear
and the jewelry with which you adorn yourself may be very expensive. A poor
person would not be able to have such costly things. But, these are just like
the differences in the value of the vessels. The divinity inside all these
bodies is only one.

Once you become aware of this truth and recognize the unity in all beings, you
will be able to exercise sense-control quite easily. Instead of seeking to
control others you will seek control over yourself. Instead of correcting others
you will take charge of your own mind and senses. Defects and faults abide in
everyone. Then who is to exercise power and authority over whom? If a person has
committed some mistake it may be your job to show him the right way, but your
main focus should be to correct yourself. Discharge your duty, do your assigned
work but always remember the one divinity resident in everyone.

Only Wisdom Can Conquer Ignorance

Ignorance is very deep. It covers your inner truth. It is impossible for you to
remove this thick layer of ignorance by encountering it head-on. In the early
morning at 7 o'clock, although you may be only 5 feet tall, your shadow will be
50 feet long. How can you reduce the length of this 50-foot shadow? Is it
possible to fight with it? If you admonish it, will it listen to you? If you
criticize it, will it be reduced? Whatever you do, its length will not come
down. But as the sun goes on steadily rising, the length of the shadow
diminishes automatically. Once the sun occupies the position overhead, the
shadow, by itself, will have come down to your feet, obliterated itself and
disappeared from view.

You may be 5 feet tall but your ignorance is 50 feet long! Therefore, you have
to develop inner inquiry so that your wisdom will grow. As long as the sun of
wisdom goes on rising, ignorance will go on diminishing. In this way, your
ignorance can be totally destroyed. This is one method.

There is still another method for dealing with this shadow that is 50 feet long.
You realize that you cannot conquer it by turning towards it and trying to run
over it. You realize that by facing it, your shadow will not get any shorter or
disappear from view. But, if instead of turning your face towards your shadow,
you turn your face towards the sun, then your shadow will automatically be
behind you, and however big it is, you will not be aware of it anymore. It will
continuously remain out of sight. Therefore, instead of thinking of this
ignorance, always think of the sun of wisdom. That way you keep the ignorance
behind you and the sun in front of you, and you will not be affected by this
shadow anymore. This means always turning your vision towards God.

Both methods should be employed. Always turn your vision towards God and use
your intellectual and intuitive faculties to increase your wisdom. These are two
major yogas or spiritual paths, the path of devotion and the path of wisdom. If
you do not turn towards God and increase your wisdom, but continue to turn
towards the world, then as with the shadow and the setting sun, your ignorance
will go on increasing and you will get lost. "Therefore," Krishna warned Arjuna,
"use your buddhi, your highest intelligence, to increase your wisdom. That way
your ignorance will get destroyed. The moment your ignorance is destroyed,
duality will vanish. When duality goes, your attraction or repulsion to sense
objects will also disappear. And, once these attachments or revulsion to objects
disappear, your body-consciousness will also disappear. If there is no body-
consciousness then there is no sorrow."

Develop Wisdom Through Inner Inquiry

We have seen that if you want to overcome body-consciousness, you must first
overcome your attraction or repulsion to sense objects. Once this goes, duality
will be destroyed. And when duality disappears, ignorance will vanish. This will
all happen when you develop wisdom. Therefore, the Gita has declared that it is
through wisdom that you will be able to destroy ignorance and reach your
ultimate reality.

What is this wisdom that you should develop? Can it be gained by acquiring
secular knowledge in the world? No. It does not deal with external phenomena at
all. It deals only with internal experience. It is only when you have developed
self-confidence, confidence in the indwelling atma, that you will be able to
develop a strong confidence in the Lord. If you do not believe in your self, you
cannot truly believe in God. When you have faith in yourself, then you can have
faith in God. To develop such a firm belief in yourself, to realize the
indwelling divinity which is the same in everyone, you need to constantly engage
in the practice of self-inquiry.

From the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night you go on
saying I, I, I, and myself and mine. But even when you say I, do you know who
this I really is? You say 'this is my body', 'this is my intelligence', 'this is
my inner feeling', 'these are my senses', but do you ever ask yourself, 'Who am
I?' If you never inquire into your own truth what good is all the education you
have acquired? If you will not make the effort to inquire into your truth, then
who else will come and remove the writing that is on your forehead? Who will
remove the karma that is imprinted there? Instead of engaging yourself in self-
examination, you just allow impure thoughts to enter your head, and so all your
thinking becomes dull and null.

You should realize that when you say, 'this is my handkerchief', the one who is
the you, is different from the object which, in this case, is the handkerchief.
You say, 'this is my body'. You do not say, 'I am this body'. When you say,
'this is my body' you are declaring that you and the body are different and
separate from each other. If you then inquire who is this you who is saying
this, then you will be led to the indweller. You must inquire who this indweller
is, in other words, who is owning all these things. Only when there is an owner
can there be any meaning in saying 'this is my property, this is my land'. Only
the master who owns the property has the right to say 'this property is mine'.
For the body-mind this master is the indweller. This master will not undergo any
change. He will never leave you. Therefore, by means of inner inquiry, you
should try to discover and recognize this unchanging indwelling divinity which
is your true reality.

Every spiritual aspirant should take up inner inquiry. In all your spiritual
practices that you engage in, you should spend three-fourths of your time on
self-inquiry. Then you will get the full results. Only by using your time
properly, by sanctifying your body and by sanctifying all your actions, will you
be able to reach the goal. The most important reason for all these sorrows you
are prone to, is the weakness you develop because your senses are not under your
control. Use the strength you have to keep your senses under control. Put your
mind on the right path and develop a firm resolve. You will gain great strength
thereby.

The Gita declared that you should control the senses, not that you should
destroy them. The Gita does not say that you should renounce action, but that
you should renounce the fruit of your action. Therefore, you have to do your
work. Although there is no need for the Lord to perform any particular work, you
will find that he is working all the time. If he is working constantly, should
you not be working also?

Perform your work and use all your senses correctly. Use them within the proper
limits for the purposes for which they were intended. Do not ever use them in
the wrong way. This is the message of the Gita.

Twenty-First Chapter

TO KNOW THE DIVINITY - IS TO BECOME THE DIVINITY

Krishna said, "If you are a slave of your desires you will be a slave of the
entire world. But when you make desires your slave the whole world will be
yours."

Embodiments of Love,
Have faith in the indwelling divinity, the atma, which is the basis of every
happiness and joy that you will ever experience in the world. People are
suffering immensely because of their erroneous belief that the joys of the
senses and the delights of worldly objects are real and will last; but these are
only temporary and cannot last. People have not inquired to find out what is the
basis for the joys associated with the sense objects and all the luxuries of the
world.
The Atmic Light Gets Hidden by the Impure Senses
In the Gita, the human body has been compared with a container having ten holes,
within which is an inextinguishable light. If you were to cover this container
with a thick cloth, then you would not be able to see any light shining through
it. If, however, you gradually lift this thick cloth covering the container,
then you would be able to see the light shining from each of the holes. At that
point, it looks as though there are ten lights. But when you take the container
away and leave the light, you realize that there was always only the one light.
That one light shining within the container, which is the body, is the self-
effulgent atma.

The splendorous light of the atma has been covered by the body and its sense
organs. There are five gross and five subtle sense organs associated with the
human body, which can be thought of as the ten holes in the container through
which the light of the atma shines. This container of the body, in turn, has
been covered by the thick cloth of my-ness and attachment, which obscures the
pure light of the atma. First of all, you must remove this cloth of selfishness
and my-ness. This my-ness stems from ignorance. It is a form of delusion which
makes you feel separate and keeps you bound up in duality. It arises from the
cosmic illusion, or maya. Maya can be thought of as the outer vesture or garment
of God. God has been described as having illusion as his outer form. This
illusion veils and hides him from view. Once you take away this cloth of
illusion, then the inner light becomes revealed, shining radiantly through the
sense organs.

The light which you see through your eyes is but a reflection of the one self-
effulgent divine light that is inside you. Every sensation you feel through your
skin or hear through your ears is but a reaction to that same inner light. And
every sound which you make through your mouth is but the resound of that one
divine inner light. All that you have been able to do and experience through the
senses is only a reflection, a reaction or a resound of that one splendorous
radiance which is your immortal self, the atma. But as long as you still
identify yourself with this container of the body, you will not be able to see
the one atmic light. Only when you identify yourself completely with the atma
will you be able to experience this one atmic light instead of a multiplicity of
many different lights.

See Unity In All Diversity

Up to this time, you have been seeing diversity and separation in what is
actually unity. But now you have to correct this wrong vision. The ancient
wisdom teachings have emphasized that you will not be whole until you can see
only unity in the illusion of diversity, that appears to be around you. When can
you see and directly experience this unity? Only when you destroy your sense of
identity with the body. Then you will be able to experience all as one. It is
maya which causes this delusory experience of seeing diversity when there is
only unity. But it is the universal experience of the great sages and mystics
that there is only the one unity to be found within all the multiplicity of the
world.

This unity is the basis of everything everywhere. It is the atma. It has to be

experienced in every object and in every being. This is the sum and substance of
the Gita, which itself is the essence of all the ancient wisdom teachings. The
Gita has described the experience of unity as yoga, the process of becoming
united with and immersed in the one divinity. You must make an inquiry, taking
instances from your own daily life, to see how you can experience this oneness
within all the diversity, and, thereby discover the divinity which is inherent
in everything.

Take the example of some food preparations. For instance, you can consider some
different types of sweets, such as cookies, cakes, candies, desserts, or other
sweets which you might enjoy. The forms and names of all these items are
different but the inner substance which gives them all their characteristic
sweet taste is the same. That underlying sweetness comes from sugar. It is
because sugar is present in these items that there is sweetness in all of them.
Flour by itself has no sweetness; its taste is insipid. But, when flour is
associated with sugar, then you enjoy it as a sweet. It does not matter what
flour you use, whether it comes from rice or wheat or other grains. When it is
associated with sugar, it becomes sweet. Similarly, the objects of the world are
tasteless and insipid, but because the sugar of divinity has been mixed in with
them, you can enjoy so many things in the world, considering them desirable and
sweet.

You Are A Human Being, Not an Animal

Do not waste your life running after worldly enjoyments. Realize the truth that
you did not get this human birth for the sake of enjoying food or sleep or
wasting your time on meaningless activities or entertainment. When you look
around you can see any number of animals, birds and worms which live only for
the sake of food. Why have a human life if you use it only to enjoy the
pleasures that animals, birds and worms enjoy? What is the use of acquiring a
higher education, and then spending your time reveling in lowly pleasures that
even without benefit of higher education, the animals, birds and worms also
indulge in? What is the special ideal which has been held out for humanity? What
is the inner significance of the statement that it is extremely difficult to
obtain a human life?

Human life has not been given so that you can act like an animal. Human life has
not been given so that you can act like a demon either. Man has taken human
birth in order to realize his divine essence. Human life has been given to you
so that you can reach the highest plane of God-consciousness. The same thing was
taught by Jesus when he said, "Man does not live by bread alone."

You have to attain an achievement which is of extraordinary significance. You

have been given life so that you may realize the divinity which is inherent
within you. Your primary duty as a human being is to give up the things which
are impermanent and attain those things which are permanent. But today you are
not aspiring for such extraordinary qualities. Instead, you are living a wasted
life, filled with attachments. This was also Krishna's admonishment to Arjuna.
He said, "Arjuna! This body consciousness and attachment to the body is binding
you. You are wasting your life. Give up your attachment to the body now!"
You have to inquire why you develop attachment to the body. Consider this small
example. Everyone knows that it is not right to utter a lie. Many people, at
some time, take an oath resolving that they will not lie from that moment
onwards. But, the very next time they get into a conversation, they tell a lie.

Or take a businessman who knows that he should not deceive. He makes a

resolution that he will limit himself to earning only a fair and modest profit.
But the very next day, he resorts to unfair means. Or a person decides he should
not gossip or hurt others with his talk, yet within minutes he has totally
forgotten his vow and begins to criticize someone.

Man seems not to have a steady mind at all, and without a firm and steady mind
he is unable to control his actions. On a holy day he may feel that he should be
thinking of nothing but the Lord and abstaining from taking any food. But after
some time he excuses himself and says, "Let me at least have a few biscuits with
tea." When man is constantly deviating in this way from his own firm
resolutions, there must be some very powerful entity which is working inside
him, constantly defeating him. If there weren't such a powerful instinct or urge
working within him, he surely would not have changed his resolve and he would
have been able to use his will to hold to his announced discipline.

Desire Makes You Break Your Resolutions

So, there is some power, some force that is hidden within man, that he is not
able to control or understand. If he thinks deeply and tries to discover just
what exactly this power is, he will find that it is related to the three worldly
qualities which are inherent in the human condition. These three attributes
which comprise worldly life characterize the mind and its thinking process. They
are the slothful or dull, the active or passionate, and the serene or calm
tendencies. These three attributes, in various combinations, will dominate a
person's life. They will be fostered or diminished by the quality of the food
taken in and by one's tendency towards indulging in or depriving oneself of
sleep.

Of these three attributes, the first two qualities mentioned, that of

slothfulness and furious activity, are likely to encourage you to take the wrong
path. Slothfulness gives rise to dislike, repulsion and anger. An excessively
active nature gives rise to attraction, desire, or attachment to worldly things.
Desire is the most powerful urge making man give up all his resolutions. It acts
as the leader or captain of all the bad qualities.

You can plan certain programs to defeat your external enemies, but all your
plans and strategies will be of no use until you have conquered your inner
enemies. Once you have yielded to your inner enemies, how can you hope to
conquer your external enemies? When these inner enemies have subverted your will
power and defeated all your good intentions, how will you be able to challenge
and conquer your external enemies? This captain of the bad qualities, desire,
has made a hole and entered the house. The others like hatred, anger, greed and
jealousy then follow him into the house. The moment these enemies have entered
into you, you lose all your discrimination and wisdom. The moment you lose your
wisdom you also give up your resolution. Therefore, the most important reason
for not fulfilling your own firm resolve is the welling up of desire. Let us try
to understand this further.

When palaces are constructed as residences for great emperors and kings, there
is usually a fortified wall surrounding the palace, protecting it from intrusion
from outside. There will be a number of guarded gates within this wall.
Similarly, a temple is usually situated within a compound having a protecting
wall around it in which there will be a number of gates or doors. The body can
be thought of as the compound wall enclosing God, who resides inside in the
temple of the heart as the atma. An external fortress or a temple will be
constructed with the help of bricks, cement, sand and mortar, but this temple of
the body is constructed out of flesh and blood. In this body of flesh there will
be a number of gates in the form of the sense organs. It is through these gates
of the senses that desire and the other bad qualities break in, and invade the
inner sanctuary.

The Body Is Given to You to Realize the Indweller

The body gains its luster from the indweller, who is God. As long as the
indweller resides in the body, it will be full of fragrance and full of life.
The moment this indweller leaves the body, the body becomes foul and offensive.
Without the indweller the body is a reprehensible thing. Far from being fragrant
with perfume, it just emits a bad smell, moment to moment. The process of
transforming a body with such repugnant qualities into an instrument for serving
mankind and realizing the divinity can provide great joy and inner satisfaction.
But man thinks of his body only as a means for giving him physical pleasure, and
so he uses his body primarily in self-defeating ways. Krishna admonished Arjuna
that this was not the mark of a real human being. He told Arjuna, "The body has
been given in order to understand the indweller. Arjuna, use your body only for
that sacred purpose. Animals and birds have not been given this discriminating
power."

You have the capacity to experience great things through your unique ability to
inquire and engage in self-examination. You have to use all your powers to
understand the principles which constitute human nature. First, you must
understand the power of worldly desire which makes you give up all your
resolutions. Of course, there must be some desire. Without desire you cannot
live for even a moment. But you must use all your desires for good. Your desires
should be to help others. That constitutes living as a true human being. If you
do not have the welfare of the whole society as your goal you cannot be called a
human being.

Since you are born in society, since you live in society and get so many
benefits from society you have to serve society. In serving society, you will be
serving the Lord. Be it a small job or a big job, whatever you do must be done
for the sake of the Lord. Whatever work you do must be converted into divine
work. It must be transformed into worship. You must question every action you
undertake and ask yourself, "Will it lead me towards the goal?" When you see the
Lord everywhere in everyone, then you will be doing everything with God-
consciousness.

All the lights or energies in the body originate from the one divine light
coming from God. They are all the reflections of the inner light of the atma,
which is the effulgence of the supreme Lord. Similarly, all the lights shining
in individual beings come from that one light of the divinity, the one atmic
light pervading everywhere. You should always have this in your consciousness.
You are able to see the external body with its features, but since you cannot
directly see the atma, you have not developed the right understanding of the
infinite splendor of the Lord, who abides as the indweller in all beings.
Consider a small example for this.

Everything Comes From the One Indwelling Divinity

There may be a great downpour. Huge torrents of water will be flowing from the
trees, water will be coming from the roof and the rain-gutters, it will be
coming from the overhangs, it will be spilling over from the roof of the
adjoining house, and running off from there onto your house, it will be flooding
the ground all around causing rushing rivulets and streams. The water will be
everywhere and will seem to be coming from so many different sources, but every
drop of all this water can only have originated from the sky above.

Similarly, all this speech, all this strength, all this beauty, all these
skills, in whomsoever they appear, are all coming from only the one source, the
one divinity pervading everywhere. You have to recognize the unity which
underlies all these different traits. Once you have a firm grasp of this unity,
all diversity will disappear. And once the diversity disappears, the desires
will also disappear. Then, when desire goes and the attraction to worldly
objects goes with it, there will be no more room for repulsion and dislike
leading to anger. Therefore, when you gain divine wisdom you conquer desire and
anger.

It is through spiritual practice, particularly through inner inquiry, that you

will be able to realize the unity and enjoy the divinity which is always within
you. This yearning to gain the light of divine wisdom, to see the one in the
many, is expressed in the great prayer:
From the unreal lead me to the real,
From darkness lead me to the light,
From death lead me to immortality.

Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.

Asatoma; satgamaya,
Tamasoma jyothir gamaya,
Mrityorma amritam gamaya,
Om shanti, shanti, shantihi.

Whatever work you do, if you do it for the sake of the Lord and offer it to the
Lord, then the work takes on a sacred value. Anything that becomes associated
with the Lord, thereby becomes sacred and highly potent. Consider, for example,
an ordinary rat, which is a despicable thing. If you see a rat inside your
house, you take a stick and try to kill it, or set a trap to destroy it. When
you see it you feel revulsion. But, traditionally in India, the rat has been
associated with a particular form of the divinity, Lord Ganesha, who is the
embodiment of divine wisdom;. The rat is Ganesha's vehicle which carries Ganesha
around. Now, if you are a devotee of Ganesha and you see images of the rat
associated with Ganesha, you revere it as the sacred instrument of the Lord.
What is the reason for this? The high value that the rat carrying Ganesha has
been able to obtain is due to its association with this representation of the
divinity.

Similarly, when you come across a snake you may feel some fear and go to get a
stick to drive it away. Or you may get a snake charmer to catch hold of it. But
when the same snake adorns the neck of Lord Shiva, you worship it and offer it
your prayerful salutations. What is the reason for this? The reason is that it
has offered itself to the Lord and serves him alone. Therefore, it has also
become divine like the Lord. Even if it is a poisonous snake, once it has
offered itself to God, it acquires fame and nobility.

Association With the Divinity Makes You Divine

Once upon a time, Lord Vishnu sent a message to Lord Shiva. He sent the message
through Garuda, the eagle which is Vishnu's vehicle. Garuda came to Shiva,
flapping its wings. When the snake, which was adorning Shiva, caught a little
feel of the wind which was being produced by the flapping of Garuda's wings, it
started hissing. Although an eagle is the deadly enemy of snakes and a snake
would normally slink away when an eagle comes near, now, this snake began
hissing at Garuda. It had the courage to do this because of the great strength
it got by virtue of the position it occupied around the neck of the Lord. When
this snake fearlessly continued hissing, Garuda said, "O snake, you are there
around the neck of Lord Shiva; therefore I must excuse you. But just come aside
a little, come away from there for a moment." The instant the snake leaves its
position, it becomes a meal for the eagle. As long as it remains in its position
it gains great strength because of its nearness to divinity.

Truly, the only I-ness that is acceptable is when you link your I with the Lord,
and when you say, 'I am one with the Lord.' If instead you give up your nearness
and dearness to the Lord and ego takes hold of you, then you become very mean
and weak and vulnerable. Even if it is just a small thing, a valueless thing,
once it takes shelter in the Lord its value will be greatly increased. An
ordinary stone may be lying in the street, but when a sculptor comes and shapes
it into a sacred form, it is revered and worshipped in the temple. You can
reflect on the extraordinary value you will gain once you associate yourself
with the divinity and become one with it.

There is no possibility whatsoever of any kind of smallness finding a place in

divinity. In the Rama story we have the occasion when Sita, Rama's wife, had
been kidnapped by the demon king, Ravana, and kept captive in his palace. At
that time, Ravana was suffering great mental anguish. Even though ten months had
elapsed since she had been abducted, Sita would not yield to him. She would not
even utter a word to Ravana. Whatever threats he made against her, she remained
totally indifferent to him. This fact was noted by Ravana's wife, who went to
her husband and tried to correct him. She said, "Ravana, you have infinite
powers. You have done a great deal of penance. You are an extraordinary devotee
of Lord Shiva. You have acquired extraordinary powers to disguise yourself. You
went disguised as a mendicant to abduct Sita. You have the power to go in any
disguise whatsoever and appear in any form. Since you can take on whatever form
you want, why haven't you gone to her in the form of Rama? Then Sita would have
immediately accepted you? Why haven't you done this?" Ravana told his wife, "If
I were to disguise myself as Rama and take on his sacred form, I would not have
been able to retain such lustful desires!"

When you become one with divinity, all your little mean thoughts and ideas will
vanish. They can no longer come and disturb your tranquillity. "Therefore,"
Krishna told Arjuna, "When you are fighting the battle, fight; but while
fighting think of me. That is the proper way of discharging your duty. In that
way you will be upholding the high ideals of protecting righteousness and you
will be setting a good example for others. You will also gain a great deal of
renown. If you offer everything to the divinity, you will be successful in every
endeavor. To do this you must gain control of the senses. Slowly but surely you
must exercise control over your sense organs until they come under your complete
control. Then you will be able to realize your full potential as a human being.
Then, also, you will have developed equal-mindedness, and you will be called a
truly wise man.

"Now you are still living with so many attachments; when you are so bound up,
how can you develop equanimity? You are keeping inner peace far away from you.
All these relationships and associations that you are cultivating are constantly
changing. They are impermanent and cannot possibly help you in the end.
Recognize the truth which is permanent. Attach yourself to the divinity. It is
ever with you. It will never leave you."

Twenty-Second Chapter

THE THREE WORLDS - THE GROSS, THE SUBTLE AND THE CAUSAL

All the myriad objects you see in the world are just combinations of the five
elements. Everything, without exception, is made up of the five elements and
only the five elements. There is no sixth element to be found anywhere.

Embodiments of Love,
There are three types of spaces which can also be considered as universes or
worlds. They are the gross physical universe, the subtle universe of the mind,
and the subtlest and most pervasive of all three, referred to as the causal
universe. Beyond these and serving as the basis for all three of them is the
transcendental, the divine principle, the atma, the supreme self.

The Five Elements, Gross and Subtle

A devotee who is anxious to know the divine principle and merge with it should
have an understanding of these three universes. The first of these, the gross
physical universe, is made up of the five great elements, that is, ether, air,
fire, water and earth. Ether, which is also called space, is the first of the
five elements; it is all-pervasive and very subtle. It does not have any
specific attributes except sound. After that comes air. Air can be felt but it
cannot be seen. It has only two attributes, sound and touch. Next is fire. Fire
can be seen. It is denser than air. It has three attributes, namely, sound,
touch and form. Following fire there is water. Water is still more dense, and
like fire it can be seen by the naked eye. It can also be tasted. Water has 4
attributes, namely, sound, touch, form and taste. Earth, the last and densest of
all the elements, has five attributes, namely, sound, touch, form, taste and
smell. You can see that the last three elements, fire, water and earth, have
form. The first two, ether and air have other qualities but no form.

All things found in the physical world, are impermanent and subject to
continuous change. In time, all objects undergo complete modification from one
name and form to another, and then to still another, and so on. In the physical
universe, everything is in constant motion. Let us inquire deeper into the
nature of physical objects made up of these five elements. Consider the various
atoms which exist in a given place and a given time. They will comprise the
various objects which appear there at that moment. As the atoms move and change
their position, the forms they make up also change. The atoms in all the objects
undergo such rapid change in position, that it is hard to say when a particular
change has taken place in an object. There is an ongoing process of change. All
the objects made up of these changing atoms will be changing their forms
continuously with time.

The atoms which make up the human body, like the atoms in any other form, change
every moment, causing the body to undergo modification. All these different
changes are very much like waves, such as the waves you find in the ocean. For
the waves in the ocean there is no beginning or end. The drops of water in one
wave get merged into the next wave. The waves in which those drops have been
merged again get merged into other waves, and so on. This process of forms
changing and merging goes on continuously. This is the very nature of the
physical universe.

Life Is a Series of Waves

Humanity can also be described as a series of waves; and other living beings
such as animals and birds can be thought of as other waves. Plants can also be
thought of as waves, as can the insects and crawling things. The demonic forces
can be described as still other waves, and the divine forces are yet other
waves. In nature, it is impossible to say what aspect of any wave will merge
with any other wave. Therefore, just as drops of one wave in the ocean will
mingle with and get merged into another wave, so also you may find that a wave
containing human characteristics may merge into another wave containing
characteristics of other living things. It is one continuous process of change
and modification. In this way, life itself can be described as a series of
waves.

In the same way that the body undergoes change, the mind also undergoes change.
Human nature is associated with the thinking process, which is the result of a
continuous string of thoughts. These thought processes are all impermanent. They
constantly undergo change. We see that everything comprising human life is
undergoing change. Unless you are able to recognize the six principal types of
changes which occur in life, namely, birth, growth, maturity, decline,
degeneration and death, you will be deluded into thinking that life is
permanent. The root cause of such lack of understanding is ignorance, which
gives rise to the ego and egoistic feelings of self-delusion.

The physical universe contains billions of suns, each with its own world. There
are countless planets, big and small and innumerable beings. In this entire vast
universe, the earth is smaller than even a tiny drop. On this earth, India is
just a little country. In this little country there is a small state. In this
small state is a very little district. In this little district there is just a
minor village. In this village there is an insignificant little house. And in
this little house there sits a very small body. Isn't it ludicrous to think that
such a small body could ever feel egoistic and blown-up with self-importance,
considering its minute size in this huge universe? When you think of this world
and your own place in it, you can see that physically you are the merest speck
in that vast totality. Can such a tiny speck ever hope to understand the
totality? Can a mere little ant ever hope to measure the whole ocean? And yet,
this ocean is itself constantly undergoing change... and so does the whole
earth... and so does everything else in the physical universe.

The world in which you are living is completely temporary and transient. How can
an insignificant, temporary thing living in a transitory world try to understand
the infinite, limitless, permanent entity? To understand the permanent entity
you must occupy a permanent place within that permanent entity. Body,
personality and individuality are all temporary. They can be compared to a
mirage. Man is trying to quench his thirst from a mirage. A mirage appears to be
made up of water, but there is no real water there. No cloth can be wetted from
a mirage; no bucket can be filled there. You can never slake your thirst there.
In the same way, your body and your individual nature can never satisfy your
thirst for the true joy that you are seeking.

But for the Divine Principle, The World Is Totally Inert

The whole vast physical world is something like an atom in the mental world,
just as your body is like a infinitesimal atom in the universe. But this
incredibly huge mental world is itself only the size of a mere atom in the
causal world. The physical world, being made up of the five gross elements, can
be apprehended by the five senses of perception. But since everything in the
physical world is made up of the five elements and only the five elements, this
world is totally inert and insentient. Yet, the divine principle is inherent in
it. This divine principle is also to be found in the mental world. Since the
mental world is made up of the same five elements (in their subtle aspects),
this world is also inert and insentient. But just as the divine principle, as
indweller, is inherent in the inert body, activating it, and is inherent in the
inert mind, vitalizing it, so also it is inherent in these inert physical and
mental worlds, energizing and vitalizing them.

This divine principle which brings energy and vitality to the physical and
mental worlds, shines forth most splendidly from the causal world, the subtlest
of these vast universes. To understand this process consider the reflections in
a mirror. The image or reflection has no independent existence of its own. It
can shine and be seen only when the object which is being reflected is luminous,
and it can move only when this same object being reflected, moves. All the
apparent luster of the things making up the world arises from the causal world,
and is then reflected by the mental and physical worlds, which act as mirrors.
Just as the effulgence of the sun gets reflected by the moon, the effulgence
present in the causal state gets reflected in the subtle mental state and the
gross physical state.

Now suppose you wanted to decorate the reflection which you see of yourself in a
mirror. Could you do it so that it would remain there permanently? When you see
your face in the mirror, could you paint a dot on the forehead of your image in
the mirror and keep it there? No, it would be a futile effort. If you were to
paint a dot on the mirror where the center of your forehead is on your image,
then as soon as you move, the image would also move, and the dot which was
formerly in the center of your forehead would now be over your ear. Whenever you
moved to one side, the image would also move to one side and the dot would no
longer be in the center of the image. Then, is there any way that you can put a
dot on your forehead of your image in the mirror so that it will remain there,
no matter what happens? Yes. You must put the dot on you, the object which is
being reflected. Then you can move in any direction, or even turn the mirror to
one side or the other, and the dot would not move on your image. Here is a small
story which will illustrate this principle.

The Artist Who Tried To Capture the Image of the Lord

There was once a world-famous artist. He had an extraordinary talent for figure
and portrait painting. He came to Krishna, in his capital city of Dvaraka, and
wanted to paint Krishna's portrait. With a beaming smile Krishna said, "Well, if
you want to paint my image you can certainly do so. Tell me what I should do."
The artist requested, "Swami, if you would kindly just sit still for an hour in
the same place, I will draw an outline, and then later on I will fill in the
details." Krishna sat down on for the artist and remained without moving. The
artist made some preliminary sketches. After a while, he prostrated at Krishna's
feet and said, "Swami, I am done now." Smiling, Krishna asked, "When are you
going to show the picture?" The artist answered, "Swami, by tomorrow at this
time I should have completed it."

Throughout the night, he worked untiringly on this difficult task of accurately

painting a likeness of the Lord on canvas. When the picture was done the next
morning, the artist was extremely pleased with his work. He covered the painting
with a beautiful cloth and brought it to Krishna. But when the cloth was
removed, it was seen that in the intervening 24 hours the form of Krishna had
undergone a remarkable change. The artist put the portrait directly alongside
Krishna. He looked at the picture and then looked at Krishna. He realized that
there was very little resemblance between the two. Krishna also looked at the
painting and pointed out, "My dear fellow, there seem to be a number of
defects." The artist said, "Please forgive me, Swami. Please give me another
chance. Let me try again and I will do better." It went on like this for ten
days.

Each day the artist did his work over again, but it was impossible to get a
proper picture. Now the artist began to feel ashamed. He decided it would be
best if he just disappeared from there, and so he hurriedly left the city. On
the way, sage Narada happened to meet the artist departing from the city. Narada
asked the artist, "You seem quite disturbed. Tell me what is making you so
unhappy." The artist explained to him all that had happened. Narada told the
artist, "Well, Krishna is a master actor and a master director. He is enacting
this whole drama. Using your methods you will never be able to get a true
likeness of him. But if you really want to succeed then listen to my words and
follow them implicitly.

The artist agreed to do exactly as Narada instructed. He returned to Dvaraka,

and the very next day went to Krishna, carrying with him a picture covered with
a fine cloth. He told Krishna, "Swami, I have finally been able to bring you
your exact picture. Please have a look. This will always give the correct
likeness of you. Whatever changes come into your expression and form, the image
that is seen here will show all these changes faithfully." Then he got ready to
remove the covering cloth and said, "Please accept this as my best picture of
you." When the cloth came away, it revealed a clean mirror.

If you want to paint a portrait of the Lord who is permanent with temporary
materials like brushes, paint, etc., you will not be able to succeed. In the
physical universe everything is temporary. All forms are constantly undergoing
change. Such transient forms cannot give a proper vision of the permanent Lord.
If you want to have a clean and unchanging vision of the Lord, you will be able
to obtain it only in the clean mirror, which is your own purified heart.

To Reach the Permanent, Go Beyond the Impermanent

Trying to know the Lord through the changing forms found in the gross physical
universe, is a type of delusion. The permanent unchanging entity cannot be known
through impermanent, changing forms. Whatever knowledge you get this way will be
impermanent. Whatever joy you may derive from trying to know him in this way
will only be temporary. The basic nature of these five elements is that they are
constantly undergoing change. To reach the state of the permanent, you have to
go beyond these five elements and their changing forms.

Suppose you go on a pilgrimage to a temple to have a vision of the Lord. Coming

there, you may have had to undergo a great many difficulties. Then, when you
finally arrive there and have a chance to go into the temple, you stand before
the likeness of the Lord with your heart filled with yearning. You look at the
sacred image, but immediately you find yourself closing your eyes as you
experience the intense feelings of being in the divine presence. Spontaneously,
you close your eyes and turn your vision inwards. Having gone to so much trouble
to get there to have a look at the holy image, why, once you are there, do you
close your eyes and look within yourself? What is the inner significance of
this? You turn your sight inward because you realize that in order for you to
get a permanent and true vision of the Lord, you have to look inside your heart.
You know intuitively that the pictures taken in through your eyes will remain
fleeting impressions, superimposed on impermanent thoughts. After having
registered these visual images in the thoughts, they must be fixed so that they
can become unchanging impressions in the heart.

Although you cannot get a direct experience of the divinity in the physical
universe, the indirect vision of the divinity that you can get there will give
you some sacred experiences. Just because the physical world is transient and
changing you should not renounce these feelings of connectedness with the
divinity, even though they may be short-lived. These feelings will give you some
temporary joy. First, you will have to secure this temporary joy and then slowly
and gradually make the journey towards permanent joy. This journey will take you
through the three worlds, the physical, the mental and the causal, going from
the grossest to the most subtle. It is only in the causal that you will find the
image of real truth. The causal arises from the transcendental state, which
interpenetrates these three worlds, and is beyond them. That transcendental
source which illuminates the causal is the unchanging light of the atma.

You Are Not Just One But Three

You can get some understanding of all this by contemplating the statement that
Swami has often made, 'You are not one person but three... the one you think you
are, the one that others think you are and the one you really are.' The one you
think you are, the body, is ephemeral and untrue. Whatever life you are living
today, whatever experiences you are having today, they are all transient. Both
the body and its activities, are temporary and associated with the physical
world. Now, when others think of you, they do so not only in terms of your
physical makeup but also in terms of your personality and character traits.
Theirs is a more mentalized image of you. Therefore, the one that others think
you are, relates to the mind and the mental world, which is also changing and
untrue. But, the one you really are, is the atma, the unchanging truth, shining
in the causal state.

A piece of ice in your hand will start melting until it becomes water again. Why
is this so? Because melting is the very nature of ice. Similarly, changeability
or transitoriness is the very nature of everything that appears in the physical
world. Even while you are trying to understand the gross physical universe, you
have to think of the finer, subtler inner worlds. The physical world is at the
gross level. You experience it during the waking-state. The same thing in a
subtle form is associated with the mental world, which you experience in the
dream-state. In the waking-state, you are able to see objects because of the
light emanating from the sun and the moon. But the sun and the moon of your
waking state are not present in the dream-state. It is only the light which
emanates from the mental world which helps you to see the objects of that world.

The moment you push aside the gross, the subtle light becomes evident inside.
During the day you are not able to see the stars. But just because you cannot
see them does not mean that they are not there. Stars continue to shine even in
the daytime, and yet because the sun's effulgence is so great, you cannot see
them. As the light of the sun becomes dim at dusk, you begin to see the shining
stars.

Behind the Gross the Subtle, Behind the Subtle the Causal
Behind the outer, grosser experience lies the subtler, finer experience, from
which the outer has sprung. And within the subtle can be found the template for
the gross. Even in the childhood of a great spiritual teacher, you can see the
mark of one whose mission it is to bring light to mankind. And when you
apprehend this underlying subtle quality of that being, you clearly see how it
has shaped every aspect of that life through all its outer manifestations and
through every major period of life.

There is another state that transcends both the gross and the subtle. That is
the causal. The causal state does not have any movement; it does not undergo any
change. Within it is to be found the self-effulgent light of the atma. It is
because of this all-pervasive light of the atma shining in and through the
causal state that you are able to experience the mental and the physical worlds.
If there were no subtle mental world there could be no gross physical world for
you. But, if there were no causal, there would be neither subtle mental nor
gross physical worlds for you. To realize your divine state, your journey has to
take you from the physical through the mental to the causal. Your truth is
rooted in the causal. You must use the physical to reach the mental and the
mental to reach the causal.

Ultimately, it is the light of the atma, the indweller, which activates and
vitalizes all of these states of experience. The atma is the source and the
substratum of all three worlds. In the ocean you will find waves and swells and
foam on the surface, large-scale currents below the surface and the stillness of
the deep ocean regions, far below. The waves and foam, the currents, and the
deep ocean waters are not different. Water is the common element which
interpenetrates all of them. But, it appears as if the waves, the currents and
the deep ocean are different.
In the phenomenal world also, you have to discover the common element that
underlies all experience and unifies the physical, the mental and the causal
worlds. You can associate these three universes with the three states of
consciousness. You can think of the waking state as the physical, the dream-
state as the mental, and the deep-sleep state as the causal. Beyond these three
states, interpenetrating them and common to all of them, is a fourth state. That
is the superconscious state, the transcendental state. The unconscious state of
deep-sleep is associated with the causal. It has a very profound quality of
peace. But by itself, the deep-sleep state will not provide you with a permanent
experience of real bliss. The bliss is there but you are not conscious of it. It
is only after you come back to the waking-state from deep sleep that you
remember the serene feeling of total rest you were enjoying. However, in the
super-conscious state, you will be able to enjoy eternal peace and bliss, and be
fully conscious of it always.

Samadhi Is Equal-Mindedness
The experience of that bliss has been referred to as the state of samadhi. What
is the meaning of samadhi? Samadhi is ordinarily mistaken to be an emotional
state in which a person acts abnormally, as if in a state of high excitement or
trance. You may think that samadhi is something different from the waking, dream
or deep-sleep states. But, truly, samadhi is something common to all three
states. The meaning of samadhi is inherent in the word itself. Its root
syllables sama or equal, and dhi or mind, together mean equal-mindedness. To be
equal-minded in cold or in heat, in profit or in loss, in praise or in
censure... that is samadhi. Therefore, a person who is immersed in samadhi,
whose mind is in equanimity, will always be in a state of bliss, whether he is
in the waking state immersed in his every-day life, or whether he is in the
dream-state or in the deep-sleep state. Everyone yearns for such a beatific
state. To attain it, a great deal of spiritual practice is necessary. You also
have to earn the grace of the Lord by living a life replete with the virtuous
qualities that are pleasing to him.

After describing the noble characteristics of a truly wise man, Krishna told
Arjuna, "Arjuna, there is no value whatsoever in your basing your actions only
on considerations involving the body. Follow my commands! Discharge your duties
while all the time thinking of me. Then you will be able to experience and enjoy
the divinity that is everywhere. This divinity is the unity which underlies all
the diversity in the world. Base your actions on that. Constantly concentrate on
that divinity. I am that divinity and you are very dear to me. When you
concentrate on me, then I will be fully concentrated on you." For a wise man,
whatever be the state he is in, his thoughts and feelings will not undergo any
change. He will have developed an unwavering attitude, being focused at all
times on the divine principle within.

Who will be surprised to hear that fire is accompanied by heat? Burning is the
natural state of fire, just as cold is the natural state of ice. So also,
everyone who is born will die. This should be considered as totally natural.
Anyone who recognizes this truth will not be subjected to sorrow. In all places
and in all circumstances, develop an equal-mindedness. Whatever happens, always
keep your mind firmly fixed on the divinity, which is your true self. In order
to develop this ability to think of the atma, your divine nature, in all places
and at all times, you will have to gain a deep understanding of the
characteristics of the three worlds, the physical, the mental and the causal.

In the evening you take your food and shortly afterwards you go to bed. Soon
after that you are asleep and get a number of dreams. Many things happen to you
in your dreams but after getting up nothing remains of the dream state. In the
waking state you engage in many different activities and have numerous
experiences, but then later on, when you go back to sleep again all these
activities of the waking state are superseded by the events in the dream state.
We see that so many changes come about in just 24 hours.

You Alone Are True

There are a number of striking differences in your experiences of the dream-
state and those of the waking-state. Considering this, what should you believe
and what should you not believe? You may ask, 'Which is true, which is not true?
Am I the one who experiences all these various happenings in the waking state,
or am I the one who experiences all those other happenings in the dream-state?'
The wisdom teachings give the answer, 'You are neither this nor that. You are
not the one experiencing the waking-state, nor are you the one experiencing the
dream-state, nor are you the one asleep in the deep-sleep state. You transcend
all these. You are the transcendental reality itself.'

That which you think exists really does not exist. That which you do not believe
exists really exists. When you acquire wisdom you realize that there is only the
One which really exists and is eternally true. That is the atma, the
transcendental principle. But this principle of atma is not easily accessible to
ordinary people. All that you read, listen to and experience are merely
attributes of the physical state. Starting with this you have to reach out and
try to achieve your goal. From the form you have to progress to the formless,
from the changeable you have to progress to the changeless, from the
attributeful you have to progress to the attributeless. Beyond all these,
transcending all attributes and going even beyond the attributeless and
formless, is the unchanging and unwavering superconscious state. This is the
goal of all spiritual aspirants. One who has become immersed in this state is
described as a wise sage. You may wonder if Arjuna achieved this state. Yes,
Krishna himself conferred this state on Arjuna. Krishna transformed Arjuna into
an instrument of the divine and thereby turned him into a truly wise being.

If a wise man does not engage in activities he will not be able to set a good
example to the common people. In schools you will find a director of physical
education and a drill master. The drill master takes his orders from the
director. During the calisthenics drill, the director will keep quiet, but the
drill master will call out, '1..2..3..!' and perform all the drill movements. He
has to set the example. Only then can the others be expected to follow him.
Similarly, the wise man, while taking his orders from the inner director, sets
an example so ordinary people will be able to follow.

When Krishna gave Arjuna the Gita he transformed him into an ideal man. Krishna
told him, "I will turn you into my instrument to do my work, so that you will be
an example to all of humanity." What is the deeper meaning of Krishna doing all
this for Arjuna? Arjuna means the one with a pure heart. Arjuna was always
living in Krishna. A number of times Krishna referred to Arjuna as 'the one who
lives in the effulgence of God'. All the deeper aspects of the relationship of
Krishna and Arjuna can be gleaned from the names that Krishna gave to Arjuna.
Arjuna's only duty was to implicitly follow Krishna's commands.

The Qualities of the Truly Wise

Arjuna said, "Swami, I will obey your commands, whatever they may be. Whatever
you ask of me I will do. I will not undertake anything on my own, anything that
is outside of your directions." This is the true attitude of a sage. He will not
have the feeling of I and mine. He will not have any egoism or attachments. His
every action will destroy any traces of ego or possessiveness. He will accept
and follow only the commands of the Lord, who is no different than his own inner
director. Because these noble qualities are so important for spiritual
unfoldment, the characteristics of a wise man are explained at great length in
the second chapter of the Gita.

But, just describing the qualities of a wise sage would not have been of much
use, so Krishna began by explaining the qualities of the three states and the
different aspects of the three worlds. Arjuna had the intellectual capacity to
grasp the true significance of this. After being given the vision of the cosmic
form of the Lord, he immediately understood its deeper meaning. He realized that
it meant the union between the physical, the mental and the causal. After having
had the vision of the cosmic form, whenever Arjuna closed his eyes thereafter,
he would continuously see Krishna as an indelible impression on his heart. He
realized that what he had seen with his eyes wide open was in the physical
plane. Then, after closing his eyes, whatever still registered in his mind and
was being seen by him internally, was in the mental plane. The indelible
impression of this vision that remained in his heart was in the causal plane. It
is something like print on paper. Once a picture is printed, it is impossible to
separate it again from the paper. In this way, the cosmic form of Krishna became
a permanent impression in Arjuna's heart.

Arjuna was the ideal man. Yet, in order to serve as an example for all of
humanity, he undertook all kinds of common activities just like an ordinary
person. Inside, within himself, he always kept his mind firmly fixed on Lord
Krishna, who was the formful expression of his own true self, the atma. Arjuna
knew that this physical body was for the sole purpose of obeying the commands of
the inner director, manifested for him in the divine form of Krishna. In the
Gita, Krishna held out this quality of inner surrender as the ideal mark of a
truly wise man.

Twenty-Third Chapter

LIMIT DESIRES, BE EVER CONTENT - AND YOU WILL BE DEAR TO GOD

Whatever is born passes through six stages of life, namely, birth, growth,
maturity, decline, degeneration and death. But, what is never born, never dies.
For it these stages do not apply.

Embodiments of Love,
The second chapter of the Gita relates to the path of wisdom. The principle that
underlies the wisdom teachings is that whatever is born must die, but what was
never born, can never die. What is never born and will never die? The atma. Atma
has neither birth nor death. It never undergoes any kind of modifications. Atma
is permanent. It is immutable. It is everlasting. It is attributeless. It is
your own true nature. The body is born and the body experiences the various
phases of life and dies, but the indweller of the body remains unaffected by all
these bodily changes. This indweller is the atma. It is free of illusion, devoid
of maya. Once you understand this divine principle you will recognize it as the
only thing of true value, the only thing worth knowing. Everything else is
ephemeral and impermanent. You must make every effort to acquire the knowledge
of atma and thereby gain lasting joy.

Be Satisfied, Do Not Chase After Desires

Do not encourage the multiplication of desires. Be satisfied with whatever you
have been given. In the chapter on devotion, Krishna enumerated the 26 noble
qualities which endear a devotee to the Lord. Of these, contentment stands out
as one of the most important characteristics of a devotee. It means not running
after worldly enjoyments. You have enjoyed so many luxuries and so many sensual
things in your life but you have not gained peace and fulfillment from them.
Give up chasing after them and you will gain contentment.

The heart of a person who does not have contentment is like a bamboo basket
riddled with holes. If you try to draw water out of a well using such a basket,
by the time it comes up, all the water will have leaked out. There will not even
be a drop of water left to quench your thirst. Similarly, when you are suffering
from pangs of desire and greed, all your contentment leaks away before you even
have a chance to fulfill your desires. When contentment leaves your heart,
discontent remains behind to take its place.

Desire breeds more desire. A person who does not have anything at all may feel
very happy and contented when he gets 100 rupees. But once he gets the 100
rupees, he thinks how nice it would be if he could get 1000 rupees. If by chance
he gets the 1000 rupees, he desires to have a million rupees. Then he would
aspire to become a major property owner. From a property owner he would want to
become a legislator and then a minister and then the prime minister. Finally, he
would want to use all his status and wealth to attain the God-state. But you can
never reach divinity with the help of power and wealth. As the person's desires
cross all limits, he becomes discontented and his wealth gains him no inner
peace at all. You must learn how to gain contentment from whatever you have,
being satisfied with whatever wealth you have been given. Your responsibility is
to take care of the possessions you have received through the grace of God, and
be happy.

You Must Win God's Love

You all praise God, but it is far more important that God praises you. You
declare your love for God, but you have to find out if God has declared his love
for you. You believe that God is yours, but has God told you that you are his?
Suppose you send a registered letter to someone. You will gain full satisfaction
only after you receive an acknowledgment from the addressee that the letter has
been received and read. Declaring your love for God and declaring that God is
great can be compared to sending a registered letter. But that alone will not
satisfy you. You experience the deepest contentment only when you get the
positive acknowledgment from God that you have his love and that he considers
you great also. It is only when he says, "You are my very own. You are most dear
to Me!" that you attain total fulfillment.

Arjuna got such an assurance from the Lord after he said to Lord Krishna,
"Swami, you are my all, I am yours! I surrender everything to you!" Previously,
Arjuna had a number of desires, but when he surrendered fully to the Lord he
renounced all his wants and desires. Then he earned the declaration from the
Lord, "Dear one, you are mine!" To gain this result you have to engage yourself
in spiritual practice. The hope and fruit of all spiritual practice is to get
this declaration from the Lord that you are his. This becomes your greatest
treasure, the consummation of your life.

Even if you are highly educated, even if you occupy a very high position in
life, even if you are very wealthy, whatever be your station in life, when you
go abroad you must have a passport to travel in a foreign land. A person may
say, "I'm highly educated. I'm very wealthy. I have vast land holdings. I would
like to have a passport." But just by saying that he will not get the passport.
All these things may be personal attainments and accomplishments, but if you
want to go to another country there is a particular procedure that you must
follow. This procedure cannot be different for educated people and for
uneducated people, for wealthy ones and for poor ones.
Even in such a small thing as going somewhere by bus or train or plane, no one
will care to know your position and accomplishments. As long as you have a
ticket with you, no one will ask you if you are a wealthy person or an educated
one and what position you are holding. They will be satisfied to know that you
have a ticket, and they will take you to your destination. If you do not have
the ticket you will be left behind, no matter what your credentials are.
In the same way, if you want to gain entry into the kingdom of liberation, you
need to have the grace of God. That is required for entry. The grace of God is
your passport. But even a passport is not enough. If you merely have a passport,
then there may still be some objections and problems. You should also have a
visa; that gives you the right to enter your place of destination. In addition
to the grace of God you must also have the merit of your spiritual efforts and
yearnings.

The giver may be ready to give the gift, but the receiver must also be ready to
receive it. God is prepared to give, but you must have the capacity to receive.
Through your surrender and spiritual efforts you become ready to receive God's
grace. Therefore, to enter into the kingdom of liberation you must have God's
love and you must also have the merit of your own spiritual efforts. When these
two come together you will be able to gain liberation.

Contentment Is the Real Wealth

The Gita taught that if you want to enter the kingdom of liberation there are 26
noble qualities that you should acquire. But, truly, it is enough if you have
gained just one virtuous quality. That will be sufficient to qualify you for
entry. Of all of the virtuous qualities given in the Gita chapter on devotion
one of the most important is contentment. Only the one who has contentment can
be considered great. Swami asks quite often, "Who is the greatest human being in
this world?" The answer is, "The one who is always satisfied." Therefore,
develop this contentment in yourself.

Do not get lost in the world aspiring for impermanent joys, impermanent wealth,
impermanent position and luxuries. There is no objection to your enjoying the
happiness which comes your way. But never forget that the world is made up only
of the five elements. It has no eternal value. Your body also consists only of
the five elements. As long as you consider this world real, you will tend to
have attachments to the body and to a given place. It is best if you do not
waste your time caught up with these attachments. Instead, always remember the
goal. Here is a small example.

There was a wealthy man who had traveled the world over. He resolved to build a
palatial mansion without equal anywhere. It was to be a house of such
extraordinary grandeur that it would be beyond the imagination of anyone. He
resolved to construct this unique structure even if it cost him tens of millions
of rupees. A number of engineers and architects were called from various
countries for this purpose. Ultimately he completed his beautiful mansion, and
he now had a house which satisfied people from all points of view and different
cultural backgrounds. Tens of thousands of people came to look at it. This
wealthy man made all the arrangements for a grand inauguration of his unique
place. Before the inauguration, he called a number of experts and asked them,
"Do you find any defects, any faults in this building anywhere, even in the
smallest detail?" They could find none. It seemed to be perfect.

He invited all kinds of people to the function, including many wealthy citizens
and high officials. He also invited great sages to gain their blessings. Among
the invited guests there were a number of truly wise men. All elaborate
arrangements were made for their stay. After they were assembled, he prayed to
them, "I humbly ask you to let me know if there are any defects, any
shortcomings in this structure?" The engineers who had constructed the building
echoed his sentiments and also asked the assembled crowd, "Who can come forward
and just point out a single flaw in this beautiful building? We feel that it is
absolutely flawless and magnificent. It is totally unique and modern, perfect in
every detail."

At this point, a yogi who was standing in the corner, stepped out and addressed
the wealthy man who was hosting the affair. The yogi said, "Esteemed sir, I see
two major flaws in this building." All the people assembled there were greatly
surprised. The engineers and architects were shocked. Everyone was most curious
to know what these defects were. The wealthy man, whose house it was, folded his
hands in supplication and said to the great sage, "Swami, please tell me what
those defects are that you have spotted. Everyone is anxiously awaiting your
answer."

The yogi said, "O rich man, these are faults for which you are not to blame, nor
your engineers or architects or workmen. These defects are not within your reach
or anyone else's to correct. One defect is that with the passage of time this
building, and everything that is now standing here, will fall down and be
reduced to rubble. This is a defect that cannot be changed. The second failing
is that the person who built this structure will also perish and be forgotten.
This too cannot be changed. Even though these conclusions may be delayed for a
short period of time, they will both come to pass. Not realizing this truth you
think that you have accomplished something flawless and great, that your
achievement will be permanent. But it is not so. These defects that I have
mentioned will always prevail in the end."

Such is the state of affairs for people who forget death and think that they, or
their works or reputation, will be permanent. Only when you keep your focus on
the atma will you be filled with contentment and feel unending joy and bliss.
When you have such everlasting peace and contentment, you will be established in
a mansion that can never perish, for then you are abiding in the atma, your
unchanging permanent self. It alone has lasting value. There is nothing that can
be compared with that dwelling place. Unlike the mansions you find in the world,
it is perfect and permanent, free from all defects. Therefore, you have to
recognize the truth that in this mundane world everything is impermanent. Keep
your sight and concentration on the permanent atma. Constantly engage yourself
in spiritual practice in order to achieve this inner vision and remain ever
contented, undisturbed by worldly affairs.

Atma Is Never Born, Atma Never Dies

To dispel Arjuna's confusion about his outer role and his true identity, Krishna
said, "Arjuna, you are disturbed because you think you are going to kill some
people. You have lost sight of the truth that underlies all beings. Know that
you are the immortal self and your kinsmen, though they have been engaged in
evil deeds, are in essence the very same immortal self. Then who is going to die
and who will be engaged in killing? You who are the atma do not kill and your
kinsmen who are the same atma will not be slain by you. Death relates to the
physical body, not to the true self. Atma cannot be killed. Atma is never born.

Atma never dies. It is only when you understand and practice this truth that you
will be following the wisdom teachings and performing your duty, unaffected by
outcomes. Recognize the immortality of atma and fight to uphold righteousness.
Then you will act in harmony with divine will and even in the thick of battle
you will be immersed in inner peace. When you recognize the principle of the
atma, realizing its permanent nature, you will know that there can be no defect
or flaw of any kind in it. Then no disturbance can come into your mind and no
doubts will ever becloud you."

All this must be understood in its deeper meaning. These statements that one
does not kill and that one is not going to be killed, are quickly accepted at
face value by most people who read the Gita. But they make no attempt to
understand the deeper significance of these declarations, which are based on the
principle of the immortal and unchanging nature of the atma. If you look about
to see how people are practicing this teaching you will see that they are not
practicing it at all, although they will freely repeat all the verses and even
give lectures on them to others. Here is a small example of this.

There was a certain hunter, a very bad man who had killed a great number of
animals. His killing soon spread to include human beings. He began murdering all
the people who passed through the forest and came his way, in order to strip
them of whatever possessions they were carrying. When he was caught and
convicted, the judge decided to sentence him to death by hanging as punishment
for all the horrible crimes he had committed. It was announced that the judgment
would be read in court the next day. When he was led into court for sentencing,
this criminal brought with him a copy of the Gita, which he kept in his pocket.
The judge declared that by 7 o'clock the following morning, he would be hanged.
But now, quite boldly, the criminal spoke up, declaring, "Sir, why are you
inflicting such a drastic punishment on me?" The judge replied, "This sentence
is being given because you have murdered so many innocent people."

At this point the convict took out the Gita from his pocket. He showed it to the
judge and said, "According to this holy scripture, Sir, I am neither the killer
of those people nor have they been killed!" And he brazenly added, "How can you
deny these statements made by God himself?" Well, the judge was equal in
cleverness to this man. Without a moment's hesitation, the judge said, "Yes, it
is certainly true that you have not killed, nor have those people been killed.
Similarly, as pertains to my judgment, I am not killing you nor will you be
killed. Nevertheless, the hanging will take place at 7 o'clock tomorrow
morning."

Reduce Your Desires and Remember the Atma

You cannot use the Gita to change the circumstances to suit your convenience.
You have to practice the truths that are contained in the great statements made
in the Gita after realizing their inner significance. The Gita has not just been
taught to Arjuna. This sacred teaching has been given to all people born on
earth. The Gita has been given to the entire world with Arjuna as the medium.
Arjuna stands as the representative of all mankind. These teachings which have
been given to the representative of humanity are applicable to humanity as a
whole.

To follow these teachings you have to gradually reduce your desires and wants,
and gain an understanding of the principle of the atma. That will bring you to a
permanent state of contentment. Examine your life to see if you are practicing
these teachings in your day-to-day activities. Just by memorizing the 700 verses
of the Gita you will not be able to experience the great truths that are hidden
there. These deeper truths will reveal themselves in the circumstances of your
daily life. It is there in everyday situations that you will be able to
experience these truths directly. You have to clearly understand the qualities
that have to be practiced while discharging your duties. You have to recognize
how each of these 26 qualities will help you reach your goal; and then you have
to apply them in your daily life.
Therefore, keep your desires and your greed under control and be ever content.
This will earn for you the love of God. Your profession of love for God is not
enough. That you love God is not of much use unless you get His love directed
towards you. You have to learn how to earn His love and grace. There is no point
in shouting and saying that God is yours. You have to aspire to hear from God
the declaration that you are His. That is the most important thing you must
achieve in this life.

From this moment on, develop the sacred qualities which will evoke this
priceless declaration of love from the Lord, and thereby sanctify your life.

Twenty-Fourth Chapter

PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE - THE HEART OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Of all the noble characteristics that a devotee must possess, none is more vital
than forbearance;. When you have forbearance you shine with a peaceful forgiving
quality that remains undisturbed under all circumstances. When you have
forbearance, then no matter how others treat you, whether they are caring and
friendly or whether they are hostile or indifferent towards you, you will feel
only love towards them.

Embodiments of Love,
Forbearance is the heart of all spiritual practice. It is the one quality which
all spiritual aspirants must achieve in their lifetime. For the truly wise, for
the great sages and great souls, forbearance is their very splendor, their
penance, their sacrifice, their righteousness. It is their wisdom, their
immeasurable , tlove;. Forbearance is the essence of their nonviolence, their
compassion, their depth of happiness. Forbearance is the very mark of all great
beings. Truly, forbearance is everything. Without forbearance it is not possible
to realize the truth of the atma, to manifest the everlasting and ever-luminous
divine presence, that shines undiminishably within you.

Realize the Atma Through Your Direct Experience

As long as you think that your body is real and your divinity is not real, you
will not understand the principle of atma. And as long as you identify yourself
with your body and not with your essential truth, your real self, you will not
be able to gain the direct experience of your indwelling divinity. The atma has
been spoken of in many ways, but you can comprehend it only through your direct
experience.

Someone may describe the exquisite sweetness of mango nectar to you in elaborate
detail and with great enthusiasm; but unless you have tasted the nectar and
experienced it directly, you will not be able to appreciate its unique
sweetness. When the nectar is on your tongue and you delight in its taste, then
you understand what is meant by its sweetness. Similarly, unless you seek the
direct experience of the Lord, unless you engage in spiritual practices and
develop the noble qualities that are dear to the Lord, you will never be able to
savor the divine sweetness arising from the atma.

What is the way to immortality? It is the removal of immorality. Swami has often
spoken of this. Only when you remove the immorality within you, will you be able
to gain immortality. When you remove the weaknesses, such as jealousy, hatred,
anger, pride and all the other evils which have obscured your truth, then you
will be able to enjoy the strength of the unchanging presence of divinity inside
you. It is when you embody at least one or two of the 26 virtues which have been
mentioned in the Gita, when you understand their deeper meaning, practice them
and make them part of your daily life, then it will become possible for you to
realize the immortal nature of the atma. Of the many virtuous qualities that a
devotee can develop, forbearance is at the heart of all of them.

You Gain Forbearance Through Difficult Circumstances

Forbearance cannot be learned by studying books. It cannot even be acquired by
the teachings of a guru. It is not something which can be purchased in the
bazaar. It is only by faithfully sticking to your spiritual practice, when you
are under trying circumstances, that you will be able to acquire forbearance. It
is when you are under test, in situations which are full of problems and
difficulties, that the cultivation of forbearance takes place. Under those
trying circumstances, weaknesses which are hidden within you will show their
ugly heads. They will manifest in you as anger, fear, arrogance, hatred and many
other evils that cover your essential truth. It is at such times that you must
recognize these weaknesses and rise above them. Whatever action you must
undertake that is appropriate to the situation, your inner state must be
unaffected and rooted in unwavering peace and love. This is the practice of
forbearance.

If you have not developed forbearance then you will suffer a lot of unhappiness
and lack of peace in your life. Without forbearance you may take to harmful and
evil ways. Therefore, it is essential that you recognize the importance of
forbearance. All the education, strength and renown that you may have acquired
will be of no use to you if you do not have forbearance. There have been a
number of accomplished people who have acquired great powers by means of
penance, but they were unable to enjoy the fruits of their penance because they
lacked forbearance. Dearth of forbearance has made great scholars lose their
prestige. Lack of forbearance is the most frequent reason for the loss of
kingdoms by ruling kings. Forbearance is the shining jewel that decorates a
human being. If this important quality is lost, you will suffer innumerable
problems and sorrows. Therefore, develop forbearance. It is essential for your
spiritual progress. Without this quality you will come to ruin.

Cultivate forbearance by the arduous practice of putting yourself to the test in

very difficult circumstances. Forbearance is your vital protection. When you are
equipped with forbearance you will not be troubled by grief or difficulties, by
problems or unexpected situations. There is nothing extraordinary about
returning good for good, but doing good in return for bad is an extraordinary
quality. What is meant by doing good at all times, no matter whether it is right
or wrong action that is directed towards you? When you are established in your
essential truth, when you are in touch with your reality, you cannot but give
the proper response under all circumstances, and it will come from the infinite
reservoir of goodness and love, which is your unchanging nature. The practice of
such a virtue requires a great deal of skill and courage, and a deep commitment
to the essential truth of the one divinity, present in all hearts.

However much other people may criticize you, however much they may undermine and
condemn you, you should never lose forbearance; you should remain unperturbed
and continue to enjoy inner peace. When others admonish you, what will you lose
- you, who in your essence are immortal? How can they possibly harm you? When
you have forbearance and you are established in your divine nature, how can
anyone diminish you? How can anyone affect your essential truth, which is
unwavering, no matter the circumstances? But if, because of weakness, you lose
forbearance and forget your truth, then you are subject to endless suffering,
and you lose everything.
The Tree, the River and the Cow
There are three important aspects of nature which are very useful to man. These
are the tree, the river and the cow. Without trees, rivers and cows, humanity
would not be able to function very well. Whatever violence is done to a tree,
however much trouble is given to it by cutting its branches and taking some of
its wood, the tree continues to give protection from rain and sun to any person
who takes shelter under it, and it will try to continue to give that person joy.
Trees have been doing good for people by giving fruit, flowers and fuel, even
though in return, people may have been doing harm to them.

In the case of rivers, however much the rivers are polluted by people, in
whatever way people may use and abuse them without showing any gratitude towards
them, they will still continue to serve humanity by bringing the fresh waters
from the clear mountain sides. And even as the rivers serve all, their
concentration is on reaching the ocean which is their home and goal. The waters
of rivers give life to humanity. Whether you put their pristine waters to good
use or bad, the rivers do not mind. They will continue to serve as they return
home to their ultimate source.

Then there are the cows who deny milk to their own calves in order to provide
milk for humanity. They freely give such a fine and nourishing food to mankind.
Whatever troubles you might give a cow, it will always give you sweet milk, not
bitter milk. So cows also have been doing only good for humanity, whereas
humanity may be giving all kinds of troubles to cows. Men may beat or encage
them, they may starve them or abuse them, but cows retain their peaceful inner
disposition and continue to serve, under all circumstances. These three, the
tree, the river and the cow are good examples of this sterling quality of
forbearance.

There are Times When You Should Withhold Forbearance

But, sometimes, the outward signs of forbearance must be tempered, to provide
the appropriate response to a particular situation. Although at all times, you
should have forbearance deeply ingrained in your heart, you should not go on
displaying it under all circumstances that come up in the world. When practicing
forbearance you must carefully examine the conditions that apply and employ
discrimination. It is well known in Indian history that a vicious invader
threatened the northern kingdom, and gave a lot of trouble to its good king;.
This merciless assailant invaded the country 17 times. Whenever he came, he
caused widespread destruction in the country and took away a great deal of
wealth. He put the entire populace through innumerable difficulties and losses.
In spite of this, when the kingdom's ruler caught his enemy, he excused him and
allowed him to return to his own country.

Because of his generous heart, the good king, lacking in proper discrimination,
forgave his ruthless foe. Whenever the king vanquished his foe and the defeated
villain asked for pardon and protection, the good king excused him and sent him
back home, without inflicting any punishment. But the heartless invader did not
show any gratitude at all. He was an absolutely unrepentant, wicked fellow and
he continued with his hatred towards the king and his greed to conquer the
kingdom. The moment the invader was freed and back in his own country, he
invaded again and again. Finally, through deceit, he succeeded in catching hold
of the good king. Mercilessly he put out the king's eyes. To people who are
ungrateful like that, who are vengeful like snakes, you should not display
forbearance. You need to use discrimination and respond appropriately.

When To Use Forbearance and When It Is Inappropriate

 In the great epic, the Mahabharata, which chronicles the war of righteousness
between the Pandava brothers and their wicked cousins, there is an incident
depicted in which Arjuna dragged the murderer of all her children, before
Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandava brothers. The Pandavas had just won the
war when the horrendous deed was committed. Even though Draupadi was overcome
with sorrow, she pointed out to Arjuna the circumstances under which a wicked
person should be excused. Draupadi told Arjuna that it was not proper to execute
a person who was overwhelmed with fear, or a person who was humble and penitent
and pleading for mercy, or a person who had lost his sanity and become deranged,
or a person who had acted out of inconsolable grief, or women and children, in
general, even if they deserve such punishment. For such, it is proper to show
forbearance and treat them mercifully.

But, for people who are repeatedly ungrateful and malicious, who are unrepentant
and untrustworthy, it is not appropriate to display forbearance. You need to
deal with them firmly, according to the circumstances. But remember that all
such actions relate only to your outer worldly life. In your heart, you must
never lose your peaceful inner state of forbearance. For your spiritual life,
forbearance is an essential quality necessary to reach the divine state, and you
must practice it assiduously.

In the case of Jesus you can also see his highly-developed quality of
forbearance. There were 12 disciples living and traveling about with him. Jesus
extended all love and compassion, all protection and shelter to them. But one of
them, Judas, was tempted by money and became a traitor to his master. Despite
Judas' infidelity, Jesus remained unperturbed and continued to extend Judas his
love. There is no need for you to pray to God to see that such people are
punished. As was the case with Judas, their own acts will bring them to ruin.
Whatever wicked actions a person commits, the fruits of those actions will have
to be borne by him alone. No one can escape the fruits of his own actions. You
may not be able to predict when and under what circumstances he will suffer the
consequences, but the suffering is certain to come some time.

In both great Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there are a number
of instances depicted which show how people suffered in the end, when they did
not practice forbearance. Consider the great suffering the five Pandava brothers
underwent, having to go to the forest and live on roots and leaves, because of
the hasty action of the eldest brother, Dharmaraja, in accepting a challenge to
play a game of dice. Dharmaraja, as the king, felt it his righteous duty to
respond to the challenge, and although he knew the game was rigged against him,
he was in such a hurry to defend his honor, that he ignored the instructions
given by Krishna and the advice given by his brothers. With a determination to
be true to his principles, he hastened into the gambling game and had to suffer
the consequences. As a result, he and his brothers lost their kingdom and were
banished to the forest for fourteen years, undergoing untold deprivations and
difficulties. It is only because of Dharmaraja's haste and lack of forbearance
that all these consequences occurred.

You even find that a great soul like Rama, at times, did not have sufficient
patience. At the end of the Ramayana, there is the incident in which Rama, after
hearing the criticism and comments of one worthless washerman, immediately
decided to banish Sita from the kingdom. Afterwards he suffered great pangs of
separation. But, Rama was the avatar of his age, the embodiment of all the
divine principles. In the case of the divinity, there will always be some deeper
meaning and significance to the avatar's actions. Still, when you try to
understand Rama's actions in a worldly sense, you can see that because of losing
patience, Rama banished Sita and then had to suffer afterwards. Of course, when
people who do only good and live only for the welfare of others, experience
various troubles they will suffer their problems graciously. In this way they
act as an example and teach the value of patience and forbearance when
undergoing hardships in the world.

Undue Haste and Delay Are Two Extremes to Be Avoided

The qualities of patience and forbearance must be used with great
discrimination, depending on the circumstances and conditions. There are
circumstances when you are justified in acting quickly. You must always think
ahead and be aware of the consequences of what you do. Under certain conditions,
exercising unrestrained forbearance may lead to great troubles later on. Under
most circumstances, haste creates problems. But if you are unduly slow, it may
also lead to problems. It is said that undue delay can turn nectar into poison.

Slowness and haste are two extremes. On the one hand if you are too hasty your
actions may be fatal, but if you delay too long they may also be poisonous. So,
you must use your discriminating power and exercise patience to the degree
appropriate to the circumstances. If first-aid must be given immediately, or if
you are attending to a person who is very sick and is likely to lose his life in
a few minutes if medicine is not given, then you must act quickly. In such
situations there must be no delay. Delay would be poisonous and you must act
fast and do the proper thing.

There are also circumstances when you are faced with people who are wicked and
who are pursuing harmful ways. Then it may be necessary for you to warn them and
correct them or otherwise deal with the situation. In such a case, appearing to
lose patience may be your best recourse. Frequently, all that is necessary is
just to change the sound of your voice a little. It doesn't mean that you have
lost your inner quality of forbearance. Even if you elevate your voice and
appear to be angry, you can still maintain the sacredness of your heart and not
lose your peace, inside.

To Adhere to Truth Is the Same As Practicing Forbearance

By following the path of truth, you will be naturally practicing forbearance. In
all circumstances, always stick to the path of truth. But sometimes you may have
to change the tone of your voice and the volume of your speech in a way that
will deal appropriately with a difficult situation. There is a well-known story
in the Mahabharata. Ashvattama, the son of the teacher of both the Pandavas and
their wicked cousins, and one of the three remaining warriors on the opposite
side, had taken a solemn and powerful oath on the last night of the war, that he
would use all his strength and accumulated power of penance to destroy the
Pandava brothers before the sun rose the following morning.

Krishna, of course, knew of Ashvattama's murderous resolve and also knew of

Ashvattama's considerable wealth of spiritual prowess to carry it out.
Therefore, Krishna, out of his deep love for the Pandavas, took steps to protect
them. It was getting close to midnight and Ashvattama had been unable to find
the Pandavas. Krishna knew that Ashvattama would go to the all-knowing sage
Durvasa and ask him where the Pandavas were. Now, a great sage like Durvasa
would never tell a lie. He was well known for his anger, but his anger was used
only to protect righteousness and to quench the fires of wickedness and evil.
Even in his anger he would stick to the truth, but often times he would change
the volume and sound of his voice, as he was declaring that truth.

You May Have to Raise Your Voice a Little to Tell the Truth
On this particular evening, Krishna went to see Durvasa. Durvasa was supremely
happy to receive Krishna. Durvasa told Krishna how greatly blessed he felt to be
honored by the Lord's visit. He asked Krishna, "Swami, please tell me what is
the purpose of your visit?" Krishna replied, "Durvasa, I need your help."
In his heart of hearts Durvasa was overjoyed that Krishna, who was the protector
and master of all the worlds, had approached him for help. But even for this
there is a limit. Durvasa, who was extremely intelligent and who knew all
things, said to Krishna, "Swami, I am prepared to give you any help you ask for,
but I'm not prepared to tell a lie." Krishna told Durvasa, "I am the indweller
in the heart of all beings. I am born again and again to protect dharma, to
safeguard righteousness. How could I ever ask you to utter a lie? Dharma means
right conduct; its very basis is truth. Certainly, I would never ask you to tell
a lie." Durvasa replied, "In that case, I am ready to do whatever you say. What
is your plan, Swami? I will implement it."

Krishna asked that a deep pit be dug which could hold five people. Krishna then
told the Pandavas to get into that pit. Wooden planks were put over the pit to
cover it completely. A rug was put over those planks and then Durvasa's chair
was put on top of the rug. Krishna asked Durvasa to sit on the chair. He told
Durvasa, "Ashvattama will come and ask you where the Pandavas are. You must tell
the truth. But in telling the truth, you might just change the sound of your
voice a little." As was predicted by Krishna, Ashvattama came. Offering his
salutations to the sage, he asked Durvasa, "Swami, you know all things in all
the three worlds. Please tell me where I can find the Pandavas?" Durvasa did as
he was instructed by Krishna. He told the truth. He said to Ashvattama,
"Pandavas is it? Pandavas, is it? Yes, they are here! They are certainly here!
THEY ARE RIGHT HERE UNDER MY FEET!"

When Durvasa, pretending to be very angry, told Ashvattama that the Pandavas
were directly under him, Ashvattama got very frightened. Durvasa's anger was
well known and much feared. Ashvattama thought that instead of killing the
Pandavas, he himself might be killed by Durvasa's yogic power, right then and
there. Suddenly overwhelmed with fear, he ran away. Durvasa had uttered the
truth. In keeping with his own integrity and stature as a great sage, he
followed the commands of the Lord to give protection to good people by sticking
to truth. But, he did change the impact a little, by raising the tone of his
voice.

Negative Qualities Must Be Uprooted and Destroyed

You must have patience and forbearance, but at the same time, you should know
under what circumstances and in what manner to use them. As we have shown, there
are situations in which you must temper your outward expression of forbearance.
You need to use your discrimination to know how and when to express the quality
of forbearance, which should be ever firmly established in your heart.

Forbearance and patience are indicators of your inward state. They are
instruments which you use to counter the negative qualities that are within you,
the unwholesome character traits which come in the way of realizing your divine
truth. Consider the ability to exercise forbearance in difficult circumstances
as a test. It is in these times that the negative qualities buried within you
will rear their heads and will tend to manifest themselves in wrongful or
harmful actions. Welcome such difficult situations as challenges and
opportunities to expose and destroy these negative qualities. You do this
through your forbearance, patience and restraint, when otherwise your impulse
would have been to use words or actions to harm. It is only after you achieve
patience and forbearance and establish them firmly within you, that you will
develop the inner peace and equanimity that is needed in order to understand the
true principles of spirituality and divinity.
There are many negative qualities which must be completely shunned by devotees.
In particular, you should not have any attachment, any hatred or any jealousy
within you. If you have attachment, hatred and jealousy, even in the smallest
measure, you will not be able to progress spiritually. Attachment, hatred and
jealousy, and their hand-maiden anger, are the great enemies of devotees. They
are the opposites of patience and forbearance. We will take up these negative
qualities next and learn how to completely uproot them.

Twenty-Fifth Chapter

JEALOUSY AND HATRED - TWIN PESTS THAT DESTROY YOUR PEACE

The divinity is one. It is eternal, unchanging and everlasting. It is the

indweller of all bodies. As the indweller of the body of living beings it is
called the atma, the immortal self. As the indweller of the world it is called
God. It is the one divinity present in different forms. Just as the physical
being can be thought of as the body of the atma, so also the world can be
thought of as the body of God.

Embodiments of Love,
The body is impermanent, it comes and goes; but the indweller of the body
remains the same. Another name for the indweller is atma, the immortal self, the
universal spirit, which underlies everything that can be named or spoken of. It
is the one permanent unchanging entity which pervades all space and all matter,
and which is the basis of all living beings. It may be called God, the atma, or
the indweller. Atma and God and indweller are exactly the same. They are the one
divinity.
Discover the Indweller Through Your Own Inner Practice
The sacred scriptures provide guidelines for seeking out and recognizing the
indweller; but scriptural teachings in themselves will not be sufficient to know
it. You cannot attain the divinity by merely studying the scriptures. Using the
declarations in the scriptures as your basis, you have to make a determined
effort to develop inner vision. Scriptures can only show the path. They are like
guideposts; they give the directions. To reach the goal you have to walk the
path yourself. Following the directions given you have to undertake this sacred
journey and unwaveringly adhere to it until the goal is reached. For this the
Gita has laid out the path.

In the Gita, the directions for the journey commence with the eleventh verse in
the second chapter. That is the beginning of Krishna's teaching. It starts with
the injunction not to grieve for those who should not be grieved for. Who is it
that should not be grieved for? What is the way to prevent grief? The Gita
teacher declared that there is no point in grieving over things which are
impermanent and transient. Bodies and personalities are impermanent and
transient. All the things of the world are impermanent and transient. Krishna
said, "Arjuna, all your grief is for nothing."

The Five Characteristics That Make Up Everything

Each of the myriad of things that can be found in this manifested universe is
made up of five basic characteristics:
1. Each one is. It exists. It has beingness.
2. Each one shines with an inner light. It has luster. It is innately alive
with energy.
3. Each has a deeper purpose. It has a reason for its existence. It is dear and
a source of joy.
4. Each has a specific name, a category or designation.
5. Each has a given form, either tangible or subtle. It has a distinguishing
feature.

These, then, are the five characteristics that are found in everything that can
be spoken of. Whether tangible or intangible, once something has been conceived
of, we can say that it exists, it shines, it has a purpose, it has a name, and
it has a form.

The first three of these five characteristics make up the eternal truth which
never changes. This is the permanent reality. It is the atma, it is God, it is
the indweller, it is the divinity. It is referred to in Sanskrit as sat-chit-
ananda, meaning existence, consciousness, bliss. For sat-chit-ananda there is no
birth and there is no death. Sat-chit-ananda may be described as the mark or
signature of the divinity. The remaining two characteristics speak of the body
of the divinity. Name and form are only transient and illusory. They are really
just imagination. So, of the five basic characteristics that make up everything,
three make up the underlying divinity which never changes, and the other two are
the changing names and forms which make up the world.

Realize that all the created things which you see in the world are artificial.
They all have come at some time and will go some time in the future; in other
words, they are subject to birth and death. They can be compared to relatives.
Relatives come for a while to stay with you and then go back. They will not stay
in the house permanently. Just like relatives, happiness and grief come and go.
Similarly, everything having name and form is impermanent. To understand
spirituality, you must realize that all created things are transient and
temporary. Any day these things will disappear; they are constantly undergoing
change. Grieving over such things which are impermanent is foolish indeed.

If you want to understand the three underlying qualities which are permanent,
you have to develop certain noble qualities and virtues. As has been declared by
Krishna in the chapter on devotion, the aspirant who has attained the 26 noble
qualities is very dear to the Lord. But there is no need to have all 26
qualities. In a match-box you will find a large number of matches. If you want a
fire, you do not have to strike all the matches; only one needs to be struck to
provide all the fire you want. If you fully develop one or two of these virtues
within you, then the others will also develop of their own accord. But they must
become an indelible and integral part of you before you can hope to understand
the principle of the atma. In striving to acquire these virtues, you will
encounter certain negative qualities within you. They are your internal enemies.
They will try to keep you from manifesting these virtuous qualities.

Jealousy and Hatred

In the previous chapter, the virtues of forbearance and patience were discussed.
Now we will take up their opposite evils, jealousy and hatred. Jealousy and
hatred are twin thieves. The one cannot live without the company of the other.
There is an inextricable relationship between them; they will always take
shelter within each other. Hatred may be compared to an underground pest and
jealousy may be compared to an above-ground pest. Together they can destroy a
tree. Consider a tree which is very green, which is flowering and producing
fruit, which is very attractive to look at. When pests enter this tree the tree
will become dry within days. One of the pests will go to the branches and leaves
above while the other strikes at the roots below. While the one spoils the
beauty of the tree the other will try to destroy the very life of the tree. They
will always accompany each other.
So it is also with jealousy and hatred. Wherever there is jealousy there will
also be hatred, and whenever hatred is visible you will find jealousy lurking
invisibly behind. Hatred takes on a particular form. It manifests itself in
various ways. For jealousy there is no form; it remains hidden under the
surface. It has been said that there is no person in the world who does not
suffer from some jealousy; there will be at least a small tendency towards
jealousy in every person. To make sure that this jealousy and hatred do not
enter your system you have to develop selfless love. Where there is selfless
love there is no place for jealousy and hatred to enter and take hold. When
jealousy and hatred are kept out, you can have the experience of divine bliss.

Beauty is a form of bliss. Wherever there is beauty you will also find joy. A
thing of beauty is a joy forever. What is beauty? Is it the world which imparts
beauty to a thing or is it already inherent in the object? We have seen how all
things undergo change. Consider all these things which undergo change, how long
can they remain beautiful? Only that which is permanent can be beautiful. The
one permanent entity is God, and so God alone is beautiful. There is nothing in
the world which is more beautiful than God. The most important duty of a devotee
is to drink the nectar of bliss which emanates from that beauty. To imbibe and
fill yourself with this divinity, which is so full of beauty, there is the need
for acquiring certain virtues. In order to develop these virtues you will have
to destroy the weaknesses and shortcomings that fester within you.

Being Jealous of the Divinity

Jealousy can even come into your relationship with the divinity. It is a form of
arrogance, wherein you think of yourself more than you think of the Lord, and
become jealous of the undue attention you feel is being given to the Lord. There
is an example of this in the Mahabharata, the great epic detailing the war
between the forces of righteousness and evil, in which Arjuna fought on the side
of good, and Lord Krishna was his charioteer. During that great war, Arjuna was
seated in the chariot behind Krishna, who was driving the chariot. On the eve of
the war, Arjuna had heard all the teachings explained and expounded by Krishna,
which make up the Gita, but he was not yet fully ready to practice them. He felt
that Krishna was a very great person, a divine teacher, but he was not able to
understand the full divinity of the Lord.

The great war was going on and some of the most fearsome weapons were being
employed on the battlefield. On one particular day, Arjuna was battling with the
grandfather, Bhishma, who was the generalissimo of the other side, and was
considered one of the greatest warrior of that age. During that fight, a number
of very powerful and terrible missiles shot by Bhishma entered Arjuna's chariot,
but caused no harm to Arjuna. Arjuna fought brilliantly all day, skillfully
wielding his bow while directing the chariot, using his feet to push against
Krishna's shoulders, who would then steer the horses, to turn the chariot to the
right or left.

The battle raged unabated with neither side gaining an upper hand until finally
towards the end of the day, Bhishma swooned in his chariot and withdrew from the
scene. At that point, Arjuna, exhausted but triumphant, blew his conch to
proclaim victory in the fight that had been raging that day. Arjuna certainly
had faith in the divinity, but at that moment he also felt a little arrogant. In
that moment of glory, he felt that he was responsible for the victory and that,
after all, Krishna had not fought, but had only driven the chariot.

It was after sunset when they turned the chariot towards home. As soon as the
chariot reached the Pandava camp, Krishna halted it some distance from the tent,
turned to Arjuna and said, "Arjuna, please get down and go into the tent."
Arjuna who was a little puffed up with egoism thought to himself, 'I fought and
won the battle today. Krishna was only the charioteer directed by me. Properly
speaking, he should get down first and open the door for me. That would be the
correct protocol.' And so Arjuna said to Krishna, "I think you should get down
first." But Krishna insisted, "No Arjuna, you get down first." As this
interchange continued, Arjuna developed some dark thoughts and began to feel
some resentment towards Krishna.

Arjuna said to himself, 'Here I have been thinking that Krishna was so great,
and it is surely because I had complimented him and expressed my admiration for
him that he is now acting like this, considering himself more important. Well,
it is my own fault. But yet, the war is continuing, it has to be fought and I
need Krishna, so it would be best if I didn't develop any strained feelings
between us. Getting into an argument with him now would certainly not be in
anyone's best interest.' So, very reluctantly, Arjuna got down from the chariot.
After he got down he stood near the chariot. Krishna continued pressing Arjuna,
"Don't stand here. Go into the tent." Left with no alternative, Arjuna entered
the tent. Krishna jumped down immediately, leaping a long way from the chariot.
The moment Krishna came out, the entire chariot exploded into flames and was
destroyed to ashes.

The Divinity Never Has Selfish Motives

Arjuna and Dharmaraja, his eldest brother, who were both watching from a
distance, were astounded. Arjuna asked Krishna, "What just happened here? What
is responsible for this spectacle?" Krishna answered, "Arjuna, no one
understands my actions. For the divinity there is never any selfishness or
egoism. The protection of my devotees is my only concern. The benefit and
encouragement of my devotees is my only wish. I kept all those fearsome weapons
which were employed by Bhishma and had entered the chariot, harmlessly under my
foot. As long as I had my foot on them, they were not able to exercise their
powers over you. If I had alighted from the chariot first, these weapons would
have destroyed you along with the chariot. You would have been reduced to ashes.
Being unaware of this, you asked me to get down first."

The moment Arjuna heard these words of Krishna, he realized his own arrogant and
ignorant behavior. He was exhibiting all the signs of jealousy. Finding fault
with the divinity and thinking that he was greater than Krishna can be seen as a
form of jealousy.

There are a number of important signs of jealousy. Jealousy makes its appearance
when you meet a person who has earned greater fame than you. Or it will develop
when a person has more wealth than you. Jealousy will also show its head when
you come into the presence of a person who is more beautiful and handsome. For
students, jealousy will soon appear if there is another student who scores
higher marks than you. It is the weakness of ordinary human beings to develop
jealousy whenever they come in contact with people who excel them in terms of
wealth, position, beauty, intelligence, and other such qualities.

Jealousy will not live harmlessly inside you. The moment jealousy enters all the
virtues which you have cultivated over a long time, all the great qualities
which you have developed, are destroyed. It ruins the human nature; it
strengthens the animal nature; it promotes the demonic nature. It has no
scruples. It does not look forward or backward. It is such an insidious quality
that you must see to it that jealousy will never possess you. Enjoy the
prosperity of others. Enjoy the progress of others. Enjoy the welfare of others.
Enjoy the beauty of others. This is true virtue. This is one of the most
important teachings of the Gita. Desiring the good of others is a laudable
quality which everyone should possess.

Conquer Jealousy and You Can Conquer Anything

There is an ancient story of a devout woman who had a reputation of being
completely equanimous and free of jealousy. Even her name meant 'without
jealousy'. When the three aspects of divinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, which
are the creative, the preservative and the destructive principles of divinity,
came to test her, her extreme purity of heart was able to win them over and turn
them into little babies. She became like a mother to them. In her presence, they
remained happily nestled in her arms.

The three aspects of divinity also represent the three qualities in nature, the
active, the passive, and the cyclical, which govern all phenomenal life in the
world. These three qualities make up our experiences in the world, and the three
aspects of divinity are the substratum of these qualities. Therefore, the deeper
meaning of this story is that when you are free of jealousy, everything in the
world will be like a babe in your arms. You will be its mother, it will look up
to you and follow you. Truly, once you are free of jealousy you will be able to
conquer anything.

But it cannot be emphasized too strongly that when you have jealousy, it will
destroy all your good qualities. You may think that it will destroy others but
in fact it will destroy you, not the others. It will make you sick. You will not
be able to sleep well. You will not be able to eat well. Even if you are totally
healthy, once jealousy takes hold of you it will cause all kinds of physical
ailments to sprout up in you. It is like an inner consumption. Just as
tuberculosis creeps in and consumes, so also jealousy weakens you without your
realizing it. It can get into you in any number of ways and will ultimately
destroy you.

Jealousy is a vicious disease which must not be permitted to gain a foothold.

You must feel that God will always bless you with his grace. Even if you are in
a lesser position than you think you deserve, you should enjoy the happiness of
others. You should be glad to hear of their accomplishments and not feel sad
just because they have things which you do not have. Jealousy is all-pervasive
in this immoral age. It is prevalent in all types of people, be they worldly or
spiritually inclined. It is mostly because of jealousy that people lose their
peace of mind and waste their lives. Along with jealousy, backbiting and hatred
soon make their ugly appearance. If you are the target of these evil qualities
in others, your best protection is the great virtue of forbearance. Here is a
small story.

Forbearance Will Overcome Hatred

Buddha; was walking along the country-side begging for alms. He was approaching
a village. Many people in that village had a great affection for Buddha. But
just before he reached the outskirts of the village, some young rowdies
loitering along the road began to jeer at him. A little surprised at this
reception, Buddha stopped and sat down on a rock. He said to them, "Well,
gentlemen, what pleasure do you derive from criticizing me?" Without giving any
reason, they increased their denunciation of Buddha. Buddha said, "Continue as
long as you want." They berated and reviled him to a point where they got tired
of their own invective. Buddha's forbearance was so well developed that their
hatred could not touch him. At first they were having a good time, but finally,
having exhausted themselves without getting the reaction they wanted, they
decided to go away.
As they were walking away, Buddha called out to them, "Children, I want to tell
you something. In the village just beyond here, there are many people who love
me very much. If they were to hear that you have been denouncing me in this vile
way, they would cut you to pieces. In order to save you from that danger, I have
stayed here on this rock and allowed you to criticize me. In that way I have
given you a gift. Without spending a single cent, without making any effort, I
have been able to give you so much enjoyment by allowing you to berate me.
Rather than feel unhappy with your criticism, I am glad because I have been able
to give you some pleasure and spare you from serious harm."

Then Buddha explained yet another important point to them in a way that made an
indelible impression on their hearts. "Suppose a poor monk comes to your house
and asks for alms. You bring some food out to him. But suppose the type of food
you are offering is ritually impure and not acceptable by the monk. What will
happen then? Since he has not accepted your offer, you will have to take it back
and it will remain with you. Similarly, you are offering me all this criticism.
These are the alms you are trying to give me. But I have not accepted your
offerings. Well then, you will have to keep them; they remain with you. So you
see, all your criticisms are really just being redirected to yourselves. You are
not criticizing me at all!"

One can send a letter by registered post to a friend. If the friend does not
accept this registered letter, what will the Postal Department do with the
letter? It will redirect it back to the person who sent it. If you are
criticizing someone but this person does not accept your criticism, then
inevitably the criticism comes back to you. Do not think that by voicing the
jealousy and hatred you may be feeling, that you will be troubling those to whom
these odious sentiments are directed. In truth, you will only be troubling
yourself. Jealousy and hatred will create great difficulties for the one who is
infected with them. Jealousy and hatred spring from egoism. Here is a small
example.

Behind Jealousy and Hatred Is Egoism

There was a devout religious man who took great joy in cultivating a garden full
of beautiful flowers and fruits. Even though he was steeped in spiritual
knowledge, he had developed a strong touch of egoism within him. The moment
egoism developed, jealousy also entered. When egoism and jealousy make their
appearance, hatred automatically joins them. God took a personal interest in
this errant devotee. God saw that this person, although he had all the proper
religious outer trappings, had nevertheless, filled his heart with poison. God
decided to correct him by teaching him a lesson. The Lord manifested himself in
the form of an old mendicant and took a stroll by that garden.

The old mendicant went to a recently planted tree and greatly extolled the
beauty of that tree. Noticing the garden owner nearby he asked him, "Who is the
gardener responsible for cultivating such a fine tree?" The proud owner puffed
himself up and said, "Sir, it is I who have brought up this entire garden. I
grew this tree and I raised all the other trees that you see here, as well. By
my own efforts I developed all these pleasing paths and made this beautiful
garden. I alone look after everything here. There is no hired gardener. I am the
one who draws the water. I spread the manure. I pull the weeds and I remove the
pests. I clean the paths. I am developing these beautiful flowers and fruits,
doing all these things for the sake of giving joy to others." In this way he
went on repeating I... I... I.

Appearing to appreciate the beauty of the garden, the old mendicant continued to
dwell there for awhile, while the owner busied himself nearby, grooming his
garden. After some time the mendicant left. A little bit later a cow entered the
garden. She was so weak that she was about to fall and destroy the plants that
were there under her body. The owner of the garden saw that this cow was about
to spoil his beautiful garden. So he took a small stick and threw it at the cow
to chase her out. But the moment the stick touched the cow, the cow fell down
and died. Now, in his religion, cows are considered very sacred, and should
never be molested or harmed. Having thrown the stick from which the cow dropped
dead, he would now have to suffer the great sin of killing a cow. He was aghast
at this terrible turn of events.

It was not very long afterwards that the same old mendicant came back into the
garden. Walking along the path where the cow had strayed, he saw the dead cow
and was shocked. He sought out the owner and urged him to quickly come to the
spot. The mendicant asked, "Who killed this cow? Who committed this outrage?"
When the owner did not answer immediately, the old mendicant asked more
directly, "Tell me, do you know who killed this cow?" The owner replied, "Surely
it was the will of God. Without the will of the Lord, would she have died just
like that? Unless she was meant to die, would she fall down and expire just
because a little stick touched her?"

The moment the old mendicant heard this he told the man, "Previously you told me
how it was you alone who was responsible for raising this whole garden, how you
alone planted and nurtured all these plants and put in all the paths. You were
taking credit for all the good things that have happened here. But for anything
that is wrong and inauspicious you put the blame on God. You are an arrogant,
self-serving fool, so puffed up with your own importance that you won't even
acknowledge the Creator's hand in bringing forth all the beauty that is here.

You are taking credit for that which belongs to God. You are even jealous of
God. If not for the will of God, there would be nothing in your garden."
At this point, the old mendicant revealed his true identity. He said, "I am the
Lord himself. I have come to destroy your egoism." The erring devotee fell at
the Lord's feet in contrition. The devotee realized how ego had stolen into him,
had gained a foothold, and then had completely taken him over. Now, he
understood the deeper meaning of the spiritual teachings that he had been
mouthing for so long. He realized that everything is imbued with the divinity,
and therefore, he should see the divinity everywhere and live his life with the
knowledge that down to the minutest detail, everything is under the control of
the divinity.

Destroy Egoism, Jealousy & Hatred with Love & Forbearance

You must take care that you do not develop egoism and its henchmen, hatred and
jealousy. Once they take root within you they will be very difficult to
eradicate. When you have become infested with these bad qualities you may not be
so fortunate as this devotee and get the attention of the Lord so directly, to
help you eradicate them. You will not be able to exterminate jealousy merely by
reading scriptures or engaging in spiritual rituals. But by making a determined
effort to transform your thoughts and develop selfless love, you can destroy
this pest. Offer up all your negative thoughts at the feet of the Lord and fill
yourself with unwavering love and forbearance.

So long as you have jealousy you can never shine. All the great virtues in you
will disappear. The Gita has taught that the primary spiritual practice is to
develop ideal virtues and apply them in your daily life. In this way, you create
favorable circumstances for yourself. When you lead a virtuous life, you will be
able to experience the principle of the atma. But if you do not develop the
great qualities and apply them to your daily life, you will never be able to
realize the divinity.

The light of the atma is everywhere. It is not limited to any one person or
form. It shines as an effulgence, filling the entire universe. It may take any
form and any name. It is the very basis of every name and form. Take for example
the light that is emanating from a bulb, or the breeze you get from a fan, or
the heat you get from an electric cooking stove, or the work you get from an
electric motor. The effects are all different. The work done by the motor is
different from the breeze obtained from the fan. The light obtained from the
bulb is different from the food cooked on the stove. The effects are different,
the machines are different, but going through all of them is the one electric
current. The same is true for the principle of the atma. In different bodies it
manifests differently, but underneath there is the same unity.

The luminosity of the electric light is proportional to the current that flows
in the bulbs. The light that shines forth from the bulbs can be compared to the
atmic effulgence which shines in individuals. Light has no shape or form, but
bulbs come in various shapes and strengths. An incandescent bulb has a
particular form; a fluorescent light has a different form. The dining-room bulb
may be very bright; the bulb in the bedroom may be quite dim. Because of
ignorance you may think that if the one type of electric current powers both the
bedroom bulb and the dining-room bulb, why should there be a difference in the
light? The difference comes about because of the bulbs.

Similarly, there is a difference in the expression of love in various hearts. If

your love is wholesome, full and complete, you will be able to manifest the
fullness of the atmic effulgence and shine brightly. If you have a narrow
selfish love, it will be something like a dim bedroom bulb. It is not a question
of current; the potential for providing any amount of current is available and
ready. You must change the bulb in order to get a greater light. If you are
filled with jealousy, then the power of the light will be very small. If you
have the effulgence of selfless love, then the power will be something like a
1000 watt bulb. Therefore, develop your love. It is possible to recognize the
divinity only with the help of love.

Only Through Love Can You Experience God

In order to see the moon, there is no need for you to shine a flashlight on it.
By the light of the moon itself you can see the moon. If you want to see and
perceive God who is always love itself, then only through love will you be able
to see him. It is impossible to see him if you are filled with hatred. Hatred is
the very opposite of love. Hatred is something like blindness.

However powerful a light you shine on a blind man, he will not be able to see
the light. As long as you have bad qualities, the divinity which is very near
will not be perceived. When you are free of jealousy, when you are free of
egoism and hatred, you will be able to directly experience the effulgence of the
divinity. A person who has opened his eye of wisdom will shine with the God-
presence. A person who has closed his eyes with ignorance will not be aware of
God. By closing your eyes you will have to search all over for a towel which may
be directly above you on a shelf, very close by. If you open your eyes you will
be able to place your hand right on it. The wise person whose eyes are open to
the divinity and who is not beclouded by ignorance, directly perceives God and
reaches him.

You become wise when you become fragrant with virtues. But if you are saturated
with bad qualities, with doubts and all sorts of jealousy and hatred, you will
not be able to understand anything at all. That is why it has been said, 'Death
is sweeter than the blindness of ignorance.' You must free yourself from
ignorance. Jealousy is an evil which develops that ignorance. Therefore,
students who have very tender hearts, who have a bright future ahead of them and
much progress to make, should never give room to jealousy.

If any person in your class gets an outstanding grade you should not succumb to
jealousy. You can also work to attain an outstanding grade. If you have not
achieved that and you also feel jealous, then you will be making two mistakes.
In the first place, you have not studied adequately, otherwise you would have
done better; and in the second place, you have darkened your heart with
jealousy. Then crying over it is your third mistake. You should not develop
these bad qualities which are sure to cause you so much trouble; they can even
destroy a whole family which was previously happy and enjoying all the goodness
of life.

Jealousy and Hatred Destroy Those Who Possess Them

While explaining these principles to Arjuna, Krishna told Arjuna, "For your evil
cousins, the one hundred brothers who have been plotting to destroy the
Pandavas' joy and happiness, it is their evil qualities which encouraged them to
do all their wicked deeds. People who are jealous attract bad people for
company. These cousins have with them their evil uncle, who encouraged them in
their enmity towards the Pandavas. He is filled with jealousy. These are all
blind people. Just as their father is physically blind, all hundred brothers are
mentally blind. They join together and fall in line with one another. But you
can be sure, Arjuna, that the bad qualities in these people will destroy them."
As Krishna predicted, not even one of these hundred brothers survived the war to
perform the funeral rites for their parents. This is the great tragedy of
falling into hatred and jealousy.

If you want to really understand the Gita, then you have to start by developing
all the good qualities and virtues that have been discussed. Once these good
qualities are part of you, you will be able to experience the divinity directly.
Anything you desire can be gotten from a wish-fulfilling tree. The Gita is such
a wish-fulfilling tree. It will grant you whatever you are ready to receive. It
will give you the level of understanding which reflects your own particular
desires. In this age, people are interpreting the Gita incorrectly, because they
are filled with so many wrong desires. And so, the Gita has been of little use
to them. But, you must develop your virtue and fill yourself with love. Then the
lofty message of the Gita will shine within you and inspire you to reach the
divinity. To reach the divinity is your birthright. It is your unchanging
reality, your undying truth.

Twenty-Sixth Chapter

TRUTH AND GOOD CHARACTER - THE VERY BREATH OF LIFE

Krishna said, "Wherever there is exemplary behavior, wherever there is

righteousness and sacredness, wherever duty and truth are adhered to, there will
be victory. When you conduct yourself in an honorable way, when you live by the
principles of right conduct, those very principles will protect you. Arjuna!
Always live a sacred and honorable life. Then you will be leading a life that is
truly worthwhile."

Embodiments of Love,
There are seven facets to living a sacred life, which are like the seven colors
contained in the rays of the sun. They make up the standards of virtuous
behavior and moral excellence which are the very fabric of spiritual life. The
first facet is truth. The second facet is good character. The third is right
conduct. The fourth is sense-control. The fifth is conscious living with
emphasis on restraining one's desires. The sixth is renunciation or detachment,
and the seventh is nonviolence. All of these principles of right living have
been laid down for the protection of the individual and for the well-being of
society. Collectively they are referred to as dharma or righteousness.

Truth and Dharma

Truth is the very basis of righteousness. Just as burning is the nature of fire,
coolness is the nature of ice, fragrance is the nature of a blossom and
sweetness is the nature of sugar, so also, truthfulness is the nature of a human
being. Truth and good character are your very life breath. When you recognize
the innate truth which is your essential nature, then you understand your own
reality.

To achieve success in the field of spirituality, good character; is essential.

Good character can be spoken as having three aspects. The first aspect is best
conveyed by the words sacredness, holiness and goodness. The second aspect is
best described by the words tolerance, compassion and forbearance. And the third
aspect is given by the words resolve, determination and commitment.
Whatever education you have, however wealthy you may be, whatever position you
may occupy, whether you are a great scholar or a statesman, if you do not have
these three aspects of character, you are as good as dead. Whatever else you may
have earned, without these three aspects of character, all your attainments and
achievements will be worthless. People pay attention to external human beauty,
but God recognizes only the inner beauty. Truly speaking, for human beings it is
their sterling character which makes up their real beauty. A person devoid of
good character is nothing but a stone. You have to follow these seven facets of
dharma and let each one of them shine within you, for each one of them is
completely natural to you.

The foundation step is truth. Truth does not simply mean abstaining from lying.
You have to take truth as your very essence, as the foundation of your life. You
should be prepared to renounce everything for the sake of truth. The world
conducts itself in the fear of truth and is always subservient to truth. When
there is no truth, man develops fear and becomes too frightened even to live. On
the other hand, truth confers fearlessness on man. It is truth which protects
the entire world and makes it function. Truth drives away all fear. It is such
an important quality that only when it is being faultlessly observed will you be
able to attain divinity. Character is the breath of truth. Important for
character is virtue and good behavior. Humanity will not shine without good
behavior. Virtues, good qualities, good behavior, all these lend splendor to
humanity.

Truth Needs to Be Established from the Earliest Age

In order to serve humanity and realize your innate divinity, you have to take
truth, character and good behavior as your basis. Right from childhood make the
necessary efforts to establish yourself in these noble virtues. Early in life,
children are likely to make a number of small mistakes, either knowingly or
unknowingly. Fearing that these errors will become known to the elders and that
there might be some punishment or criticism, children will try to hide their
mistakes.

In this way, from an early age, there is a tendency for the child to develop the
habit of straying from truth, to avoid blame. Eventually, this habit will
destroy the very foundation of life. Untruth will destroy one's humanness.
Therefore, children should be strongly encouraged to always tell the truth no
matter what, without fearing the consequences, be these consequences joyful and
profitable to the child, or should they result in chastisement and punishment.
Just as a foundation is very important for a mansion, just as roots are the very
basis of a tree, so, truth is the very basis of life as a human being.

If you are wavering in truth, there will be no safety and no protection for your
life. An example of strict adherence to truth can be seen in the life of a great
king in ancient times. Because of his uncompromising stance on truth, he was
forced by circumstances to give up his wife, his son and his kingdom. He
considered truth as his penance. Even in the most difficult situations that
assailed him, he was not prepared to tell an untruth or deviate from dharma.
Eventually, he lost his kingdom. Banished and alone, he took up work in a
cremation ground. When his son died, his wife brought the body to the cremation
ground. Although he knew that it was his wife, and the body was that of his son,
still he felt bound to discharge his duty as the person in charge of the
cremation ground. Under the most trying tests, this king never gave up either
telling the truth or following dharma. He considered truth and dharma like two
eyes or like two wheels of a chariot or like two wings of a bird, each
indispensable to the other.

Even a Little Fib Can Lead to Unhappiness Later

Right from the very beginning, it is incumbent upon elders to teach youngsters
the importance of telling the truth. Here is a small example to show how making
up stories to playfully befuddle a younger sibling, can produce unhappy
consequences for a child. Once upon a time, a father wanted to give a special
gift to his son on the son's birthday. Because of the love he felt for his son,
this father gave the boy a gold coin, asking him to go to his mother and get a
ring made out of the coin. The next day the son had his examinations; he kept
the gold coin on the table where he was studying.

Now this boy had a younger sister who was very curious and mischievous. She
entered the room and saw the gold coin. She took it in her hand and asked,
"Brother, what is this?" He told her, "It is a gold coin." She asked, "Where did
you get this?" Jokingly, he said, "Well, it grew on a tree." "How could this
gold coin come from a tree?" his little sister asked. He then made up a story
and proceeded to tell her a number of fibs. He said, "If you treat this as a
seed and sow it by putting it in the ground, then pour water on it and tend it
and protect it, a tree will soon come forth. Then from this tree you will be
able to get many more gold coins."

She started asking some more questions, but he said, "Listen, I don't have time
to talk to you now. I have to study. Ask me later." Seeing that he was busy, she
took the opportunity to pocket the gold coin and left. From there she went into
the yard and dug a small pit. She put the gold coin into the hole and covered it
with soil. She poured water on the mound. All the while, she was thinking of
what her brother had told her, how a tree would grow out of the gold coin, if it
was planted.

A maid-servant, who was watching this little girl from a window, saw her put the
gold coin in the hole. When this little girl went inside the house, the maid dug
up the hole and took the coin. After some time, the mother came and asked the
son to get ready to go to school. He wanted to give the coin to his mother so
that she would have a ring made out of it for him, as his father had suggested.
But the boy could not find the gold coin anywhere. He went to his younger sister
and asked her whether she had seen it. She said, "Brother, I thought if we could
grow a tree out of it, we could get lots of coins like that; so I've planted the
coin in a hole I made in the garden." They went to the place and dug around, but
the coin was not to be found.

Now the boy was very distressed. On his birthday, when he should have been very
cheerful, he was crying. He told all this to his mother. His mother asked him,
"But, tell me, son, why did your little sister take the gold coin and bury it in
the garden?" The boy did not know, so the little girl was sent for and asked why
she had done what she did. She said, "Brother explained to me how this would
turn into a gold-coin tree; so I did as he said." His mother told the boy,
"Because you made up this story and knowingly told an untruth to your little
sister, the consequence is that instead of being happy and enjoying your
birthday, you are weeping. And not merely that, you have also lost the gold coin
that your father gave you."

If children are permitted to tell lies and harbor untruths at their tender age,
this habit will grow and grow with the years. On the other hand, if you teach
them from the earliest years to take truth as the basis of their lives, they
will grow in character and be able to achieve many great things.

When One Bad Quality Goes the Rest Cannot Long Remain
There once was a great teacher who helped many people develop in spirituality.
Whenever anyone came to him to be initiated by him, he used to inquire into
their behavior and their character to determine the type of qualities they had.
Appropriate to their qualities and stage of evolution, he would then give them a
sacred incantation, a mantra. A thief, after recognizing this teacher as a great
man, went to him and asked him for a mantra. The guru said to him, "Well, child,
what are your qualities? What are your defects?" The thief said, "My bad
qualities are going from house to house in the middle of the night, breaking in
and stealing things. Since I spend the night in stealing articles, during the
day I drink myself to sleep. Drinking is my second bad habit. If the police were
to catch me, then to save my skin I would make up lies and tell them a lot of
false information to put them off. That is my third bad quality."

The spiritual teacher asked him, "Well child, you say that you steal, you drink
and you tell falsehoods. Can you give up one of these three bad qualities?" The
thief thought for a while to himself, 'If I don't steal, how can I take care of
my family, my children and my wife? No, I cannot give this up. Only when the
body is healthy and strong will I be able to escape when I'm caught. So I have
to get lots of sleep, and drink helps me get to sleep in the daytime. But it is
unlikely that the police will catch me very often. So, I shall give up telling
lies.' Then the great man asked him, "Do you promise that you will always tell
the truth from tomorrow onward?" The thief replied, "Most certainly. Even from
today I will only tell the truth." This is what the thief firmly resolved to do.
And indeed, from that day onward he made it a habit to tell the truth wherever
he went.

One hot summer night the thief was out prowling in a nearby town looking for a
good place to break into. The mayor of this town, a very wealthy man, was taking
rest on the terrace of his house. In those days, there were no air conditioners
or even fans. Because of the heat and the still, sultry night air, he was not
able to sleep. The thief managed to climb up to this terrace. As soon as the
thief scrambled onto the terrace, the rich man spotted him, realizing that he
was a thief. The rich man accosted him, saying, "Hey there, who are you?"
Because the thief told only the truth, he replied, "I am a thief." In order to
find out what this man's plans were, the rich man said, "Is it so? Well, I'm
also a thief."
They decided to work together and planned to steal certain valuable things that
were kept in that house. The rich man told the thief, "There will be quite a few
valuables locked up in the safe inside the house of this rich man, but it will
be very difficult for us to get into the safe unless we get hold of the keys.
Let me break into the house and see if I can manage to steal the keys." The rich
man continued, "I have been waiting for someone who can keep a watch for me. Now
that I have been able to get a friend like you, I will go inside."

He left the thief and pretending that he was breaking into the house, he went
inside; busying himself here and there, he delayed coming back for some minutes.
Then he took the keys and stealthily came out. Now he told the thief, "I have
the keys, but I looked everywhere for the safe. I couldn't find it. Let me keep
watch and you go inside. See if you can locate the safe and get the valuables
that will be kept in it by the rich man." As it turned out, this rich man had
three big diamonds inside the safe. This thief went inside and soon found the
safe. He opened it and took out the three valuable diamonds.

Immediately a problem arose in his mind. How to distribute the three diamonds
between the two of them? As this thief followed the path of truth, a certain
amount of righteousness had also automatically entered into him. He brought all
three diamonds out but he told the rich man, "Brother, one diamond you can keep.
The other diamond I will keep. The third diamond cannot be broken into pieces. I
will put it back in the safe for the owner of this house. Let him keep it for
himself." Deciding on this, the thief went back into the house to put one of the
three diamonds back in the safe. Then he returned to the terrace.

After settling this transaction, the thief was about to leave when the rich man
said to him, "Well, brother, perhaps we can have this kind of partnership now
and again in the future. Please give me your address where I can contact you."
As he was bound to tell the truth, the thief gave his correct address. The next
morning, this rich man who was also the highest public official in that area,
took the address and sent orders that a police complaint be lodged regarding the
loss of some diamonds out of his safe. He told the police to go to the village
mentioned in the address and arrest the thief who was living there.

In that particular village the thief was well-known. The police went there and
had no trouble finding him. They caught hold of him and brought him to the
mayor. The thief did not recognize the robed official in front of him as his
partner of the night before. The mayor then questioned the thief, "Well, how did
you enter the house? How did you get hold of this diamond?"

The thief narrated meticulously all the details of his adventure. He told how he
had climbed onto the roof, had gotten into partnership with another person,
entered the house, opened the safe, took out three diamonds, gave one to his
partner, kept one for himself and again went into the house, again opened up the
safe and put back one diamond. The mayor called in his head official and said,
"Go and find out if there is a diamond remaining in the safe." The officer took
the keys to the safe. To himself he thought, 'Can there be any thief who will
put one diamond back?' Thinking this way, he opened the safe, saw the diamond
that had been returned there by the thief, pocketed it, and went back to the
mayor, reporting that there was no diamond in the safe. But then, the mayor
searched the pockets of the officer and recovered the diamond. Immediately, he
dismissed the officer from his service.

The mayor now addressed the thief. He said, "I know that in everything you have
related, you have told the truth to me. Therefore, from today onward, I appoint
you as my head administrative officer. Only a person who is truthful should be a
public official. Unfortunately, you have become a thief; but your nature is not
like that." This person now gave up thieving and became a high official; he
continued to practice telling the truth and automatically, in the natural course
of events, he gave up drinking as well as his thieving and became an honest and
upright human being.

In the beginning, by adhering to truth, you may be put to a lot of trouble. In

spite of the trouble you encounter, if you pursue the path of only telling the
truth, eventually this truthful nature will fill you with joy and happiness and
give you success in all your endeavors. Therefore, it was to promote the
happiness and welfare of mankind that in the Gita, Krishna taught that one
should always be truthful. He proclaimed that truth was life's royal road and
that the path of truth was the only way to foster right conduct in society.

Dharma Is Changeless But Its Practice Changes In Each Age

Sometimes it has been said that righteousness has declined and that the dharma
has diminished. But that is not correct. Dharma is based on truth. Truth is
absolute; it can never undergo change or be diminished. However, in any
particular age, the practice of dharma may undergo change. God incarnated as
Krishna, not to re-establish dharma, but to re-establish the practice of dharma.
Dharma never left, nor did it ever change; but it was out of use.

The seven facets of dharma have been present in all the past ages;. However,
each age has had practices most appropriate to that age. For instance, in
ancient times when spiritual awareness was very high, the appropriate spiritual
practice was meditation. In the age in which Rama incarnated, the most
appropriate practice was penance and sacrifice. In the Krishna era, the practice
was ritual and ceremonial worship. And in the past five thousand years of this
present materialistic age, in which spiritual consciousness is at a low ebb
around the world, the chanting of the holy name is the most appropriate
practice. But, just as in the earlier ages there were also many believers who
practiced the repetition of mantra, evoking the name of God, so also, in this
age there are people who take to meditation, there are people who take to doing
penance and there are people who take to ritual worship. But the principal
practices depend upon the general character and mood of the times.

Different practices give different forms, so to speak, to dharma. But the inner
flow of dharma is always the same. Truth will never change. Truth is always one,
never two. In all the three times, past, present and future, in all the three
worlds, earth, heaven and the nether world, in all the three states, waking,
dream and deep sleep, and in all the three worldly qualities, passivity,
activity and equilibrium, truth is always one. Since truth is one and the very
basis of dharma, dharma cannot change. It never wavers or undergoes any
modifications. But duty and practice will undergo intermittent change.

For example, take a person who is doing a job. How long will this job be his
duty? Until he retires from that particular job. Until then, he goes to the
office every day. Once he retires, his duty changes. After retirement, he might
get involved in doing business. Then he says that pursuing his business is his
duty. In doing business, he may be tempted to gain some extra profit by taking
to under-handed methods; he may try to earn money through lying and cheating.
Even though he may have now taken to lying and cheating in order to earn money,
he will still consider the work he is doing as his occupation and his duty. When
so many changes can come about in duty, how can it be described as dharma? These
changing activities that occupy your time in the interest of providing for your
living needs, cannot automatically be described as dharma. Duty becomes dharma
when it shines with the virtues that make up the facets of dharma.
Not Harming Others Is Dharma
There is a simple meaning to the word dharma. All those actions which do not
come in the way of others, which do not impinge on the freedom of others, can be
described as dharma. Here is a small example for this.
You are holding a long stick and playing with it, moving it this way and that,
and at the same time you are walking down a main street. This street is a busy
public thoroughfare. You may feel, "I have every right to move wherever I want."
Well, if this is your right, then the person who is coming in the opposite
direction has every right to save himself from being hit by your stick. You are
indulging in an activity which is likely to put other people walking on the
street in danger. However, correct conduct expects you to act so that you do not
interfere with the freedom of other people walking on the same road.

If you can conduct yourself in a way that is not detrimental to others or that
does not impinge on their freedom, then you are behaving according to dharma.
Later, we will take up Krishna's teachings in which he points out that merely
refraining from doing harm is not enough. You should also be friendly and
compassionate to all beings. But if, at the very least, everyone were to
consider it their duty to conduct themselves without causing any harm to others,
then there would be peace, prosperity and joy aplenty in the world. Acting in
this way is your real duty, a duty which has to be performed for the sake of
setting an example to others and for upholding the essential ideals of dharma.

Social Duty, Obligatory Duty and Family Duty

In your daily life in the family, there are three types of duties which may be
considered to be three aspects of dharma. There is social duty, there is
obligatory duty, and there is family duty. These duties express themselves in
different ways. First consider an example of social duty. Assume that tomorrow
is Sunday, which is a holiday for you. You may want to invite some people to
come to your house for tea. Suddenly in the night, you develop a fever. While
you are sick, you realize that if you were to invite your friends to visit the
next day, you would not be able to receive them properly, and so, it would not
make you or them happy. Therefore, in consideration of your obligations to your
friends, which you would not be able to perform while sick, you decide to
postpone the tea party. On the basis of the change in circumstances and your
consideration for your friends, you change the tea party to the following
Sunday. You are free to make the arrangements that fulfill both your wishes and
your social obligations.

Next, consider an example of obligatory duty. Let us say you are a lecturer in
the university. In connection with the upcoming examinations, the department
head has directed that the whole teaching staff of the department assemble for a
meeting. As this is an important department meeting, you will have to attend.
Even if you are suffering from fever, you take some aspirin pills and go to the
meeting. This is an obligatory duty and you have no right to cancel this. The
scheduling of this meeting was not in your hands, and once it has been called,
you are expected to attend.

Now, consider an example of family duty. You are in your own house. There is a
small family quarrel between husband and wife. Inside the room, the husband and
wife are having a tiff. She is very angry. Suddenly, the door bell rings and he
goes out to answer it. He finds that a co-worker had dropped by for a casual
visit. As soon as the husband sees the visitor, he greets him with a smile and a
fond hello. He asks the visitor to be seated. With the visitor he is quite
cordial. When he enters the bedroom and tells his wife of the visitor and finds
that she is still very angry with him, he may resume his stern tone. But as soon
as he goes into the other room to meet the colleague who has come by, he carries
on with his friendly conversation. It is his duty to protect the good name of
his family by conducting himself in such a way that an outsider would not know
that he had quarreled with his wife.

If a person who is angry with his wife inside the bedroom comes out into the
living room and irritatedly asks the visitor to leave the house, then the guest
will be appalled. It is important to see to it that the secrets and confidences
of the family are not thrown out into the street. This is an important duty of a
family man. He must be ever vigilant to protect the honor of his family. If by
his indiscretion the family honor is destroyed, then there will be no happiness
for him or his family throughout their lives.

Sense-Control Is the Key to Doing Your Duty Properly

To protect the good name of your family you must remain alert and aware of
others' needs; this requires sense-control. If you do not have sense-control, as
was explained in a previous chapter, you become arrogant. One who is arrogant
and devoid of sense-control is nothing but a demon. If you want to practice and
protect dharma, you have to develop sense-control. For everything worthwhile in
life, sense-control is very important. Krishna said to Arjuna, "Arjuna, be a
wise man, and have complete control over your senses. Do not obey the fickle
cravings of your senses. The senses must be under your control. You should not
become a slave of your senses. Make them your slave. Be their master. It is only
when you have mastered the senses that you will have earned the right to be
close to the one who is the one whthe originator of all the senses and has
complete dominion over them."

In the second chapter of the Gita all the qualities of a wise man have been
explained. Of all these qualities, sense-control is one of the most important.
In this chapter we have been exploring some different aspects of dharma, which
can be seen, like the rays of the sun, to have seven colors or facets. As has
been pointed out at the beginning, this sunlight of dharma contains the rays of
truth, character, righteous behavior, sense-control, penance, renunciation and
nonviolence. You must make all of these your own.

Try to understand the meaning of these Gita teachings and practice them in your
daily life. It is Swami's wish that when you have taken so much interest in
studying these teachings that you should also evince the same degree of interest
in practicing their meaning, and thereby acquire all the good qualities that are
conveyed by them.

Twenty-Seventh Chapter

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION - THE MARK OF A TRUE HUMAN BEING

Love all. Do not harbor enmity or hatred towards any being. The divinity in all
its fullness resides in the heart of every being. This is the basic teaching of
the Gita.

Embodiments of Love,
Whenever you hate someone, it is really God whom you are hating, for God is
installed in every being. Whenever you criticize or admonish someone, it is the
very Lord whom you worship that you are criticizing or reviling. That same Lord
is the resident of all hearts. This awareness of the divine essence in every
being is the basis of the teachings of universal brotherhood that have been
given in the scriptures of India since ancient times.
The Unity of the Self, the One Atma Existing Everywhere
The Gita proclaims that the divinity is present everywhere and in everyone, as
the all-pervading reality we call God. But the Gita declares an even higher
stage than this. It teaches not only that God is everywhere, but that the inner
truth behind the I that you refer to when speaking of yourself is your immortal
self, your highest self, one and the same with God. And that highest self in you
is also the highest self of everyone. It is the atma, one with the divinity. In
essence, you and everyone and everything are God.

Therefore, in addition to teaching the unity of God, expressed through universal

brotherhood, the Gita also teaches the unity of the atma, the one self existing
everywhere. The Gita shows that the atma, which exists as the true self in you,
exists as the same self in all other human beings, and in animals and birds and
every other kind of being as well. Just as the Gita instructs you to regard
happiness and misery as equal, so also it instructs you to recognize the one
atma as existing equally in all beings, whether they are humans, animals or
plants.

You must have the conviction that right from microscopic creatures and insects
up to the creator, the same divinity exists uniformly everywhere. That is why a
great poet, brimming with devotion, sang:
O Lord, You have been living in the ant as well as in the creator. You have come
as Krishna and Rama. But truly, you live in every form. I see you everywhere, in
every being I encounter.

Harmonization of Thought, Word and Deed

Today, human nature is such that when you see some ants and roaches you don't
mind killing them. At the same time, when you go into a temple and see an image
of one of the forms of God, you pay homage to it. You act differently in the two
situations, even when you know and profess that the one God is present
everywhere. Saying one thing and doing the opposite is a common disease of
humanity today. That is why, instead of attaining the status of a mahatma, a
divine being, people have not risen very far above their lower natures. The Gita
teaches truth in action, which is the harmonization of thought, word, and deed.
This is the real mark of a human being. It is in this way that you manifest your
divine nature in everyday life.

Develop your faith and see the same divinity existing in every living being.
Spread your love, which is the very essence of your divine nature and the divine
nature of all living beings. Look upon every person with compassion and love.
Unless you adopt this approach in your dealings with others, all your spiritual
exercises will just be a waste. Worshipping God while harming your fellow human
beings can never take you to your goal. The Gita teaches that man himself is
God, and that God is man. This unity of God and man has repeatedly been
emphasized in the Gita. "Only the one who treats all alike is a true human
being," Krishna proclaimed.

Whatever education you might have acquired, if you do not have human kindness
then all your schooling and accomplishments amount to nothing. Kindness to all
living beings is one of the most important virtues of a human being. You have to
use your discrimination and discover how to develop this kindness and apply it
in your daily life. Kindness to living beings refers to looking after people and
other living things which are in distress and going to their rescue. You have to
make the necessary effort to reduce their pain, their sorrow and their troubles.
It is no use to repeat 'love, love, love' an endless number of times. You have
to act with love and kindness in everything you do. Kindness must be an integral
part of your life. You have to believe that kindness is the same as divinity.
You have to believe that the heart which houses kindness is the temple of God.

Kindness Is the Hallmark of a True Human Being

There are a number of weaknesses that have invaded human beings. As a result,
they lose their innate kindness and become cruel. They behave more like wild
animals dwelling in the jungle. But clearly this is not the true nature of a
human being. It is the very opposite of humanness. The very word human or humane
is used to denote kindness. Of all the different flowers of devotion, God
accepts the flower of human kindness with the greatest love. Offering ordinary
flowers and worshipping God with the ordinary thoughts and intentions that
accompany them, will not evoke the love of God. That will not please him, nor
will he accept such offerings.

What offerings will God accept? What does he appreciate? He will accept the
flowers of human kindness, the flowers of love, the flowers of compassion
blooming in your heart. How should you express this feeling of kindness? It is
not enough for you to just do some good. You must transform your heart. There
must be a leap of faith. You must develop a deep-seated belief in God's
omnipresence. You have to live the conviction that the same God exists in every
heart. Then you will be able to recognize other's pain and sorrow as your own
pain and sorrow. Here is a small story.

In a village there lived a couple who had a young daughter. It was just a small
family of three. It was not a well-to-do family; in fact, it was a very poor
family. But poor as they were, these parents decided to provide a proper
education for their child. There was no school in the village in which they
lived, so they had to send their child to a neighboring village. She had to
traverse a forest every day to go to the village where the school was. City
people might be afraid of walking through a forest, but villagers do not mind;
it is part of their daily life. So this little girl spent her time going to the
school in the neighboring village, learning her lessons there, and then coming
back home in the evening.

A Child Suffused With the Nectar of Human Kindness

Along the way, in the forest, a small shelter had been erected to provide rest
for wayfarers. One day, when passing by, this girl found an aged man in the
shelter. He appeared to be undergoing some suffering. She realized that he would
not be able to reach the next village where he could get medical help and
protection. Because of want of food, his body had become weak, and as she passed
by she could see that his condition was not good. Daily she had been carrying
some food for herself, and from the next day onward she gave this food to the
sick man, who continued to lie in that small shelter in the forest. Every day,
in the morning on her way to school, she would leave the food, and then in the
evening she would collect the empty food container on her way back home. After
ten days of ministering to him in this way, he regained some strength.

One day, as she was coming by on her way home, he took the hands of this little
girl and asked her, "Dear child, you have been giving me food every day. Please,
tell me where this food is coming from. Do your parents know that you are
bringing me food every day? Or are you taking it from somewhere without their
knowing it? Is this, perhaps, the food that has been provided for your daily
lunch, and you are giving it to me instead? Tell me what you are doing. Please
answer my question." She replied, "Honorable sir, I have been brought up to take
things only with permission, and I can assure you that my parents know of my
bringing food to you. Ours is a very poor family and we have very little money,
but still we have been able to manage to provide food for ourselves and those in
need. So, I have been bringing food from my family especially for you."

He asked her, "But if you have so little money how are you able to buy this
food?" She replied, "Beyond here in the forest, there is a fruit-bearing tree.
On my way, I collect fruits from that tree and sell them before going into the
school. With the little money I collect, I buy the food. The next morning I
prepare it and bring it you." The old man was overjoyed at her sacrifice and her
intelligence and straightforwardness. He questioned her further, "How did you
get such a noble mind?" She said, "Whatever good I am able to do is because of
the upbringing and teachings given to me by my parents. As long as I can
remember, my parents have been telling me that we must share with others and
serve others. Ours is a very poor family, yet we always try to help others. We
feel very blessed when we have the chance to do so. It gives us so much
satisfaction." In this way, she told the sick man a little bit about her family
and then went home.

Gradually the man recovered his health and was able to walk to the village where
this girl and her family lived. What was the result of all the kind actions
directed towards the sick man by this sweet little girl? The man told the family
how he had been praying to God, "O Lord, give health and prosperity to the
parents of this girl. When I was sick and helpless, I could not be of any use to
the world. Now I am much better and can be helpful to others. I pray to you out
of a heart filled with gratitude to bless this family." In this way, he shared
with them his prayer that God bless good families such as these who generously
help those in need. Then he left.

God Showers His Grace On Those Who Have Kindness

Whatever this girl did in the way of kindness, she never expected any reward for
her actions. Without expecting any result or any fruits, she had faithfully been
serving the sick man every day. Now God showered his benevolent grace on her.
One evening, the Lord came to that house with a chest full of gold and asked,
"Is this the home of the child who has given so much food and water to one in
distress?" The Lord continued, "It was I who assumed the form of the sick man
who languished in that shelter, until your little girl came and took care of me.

Now I am leaving this gift so that the child can grow up and become highly
educated. I lived in that shelter for ten days to test this girl. This child's
heart is very sacred and pure. It is full of kindness. Her heart is my dwelling
place, my own temple." He handed over the chest to the parents telling them to
use the money to secure her happiness and prosperity.

But the parents were not overjoyed at the prospect of getting such a large
amount of wealth. They fell at the feet of this divine person who had blessed
them with his visit. They said to him, "Revered sir, we do not have any need for
so much wealth. Wealth beyond one's own capacity is harmful, it can take away
one's peace of mind. It can increase one's ego and make one forget God. We do
not want so much wealth," But, having blessed them, the divine visitor
disappeared, leaving the entire treasure there. This person who came was not
merely a great man. The family members recognized him as the Lord himself.

Without keeping the money just for their own family, they used it for the
welfare of the whole community in which they lived. They asked everyone to
conduct themselves in the belief that present in every being is the full
manifestation of God. They showed by their own lives how God could be obtained,
by expressing love and compassion and kindness to all beings who were in need.
You should not narrow your belief in God by thinking that he exists only in a
certain place. You have to experience God everywhere. How will you be able to
develop this feeling? God exists both inside and outside. If God existed only
inside, inner purity would be sufficient. As God exists externally as well,
external purity is also required. Therefore, since God is both inside and out,
you need to have both inner and outer purity; only then will you be able to
become fully aware of the omnipresence of God.

Inner and Outer Purity

What is the meaning of external purity? Of course, external purity means keeping
the body pure and wearing clean clothes. But it means much more than that. The
place where you live must be kept clean. The books which you read must also be
clean and wholesome. Be it your body or your mind, you should not allow dirt and
bad qualities to accumulate. The statement that you should take a daily bath
means that every impurity in body and mind has to be cleansed. Where dirt
accumulates, germs will gather and bring on disease. Therefore, do not allow
impurities of any kind to remain on you.

Every day in the morning, you should brush your teeth and also clean your
tongue. Let there be no impurity in the main entrance. Whenever there is some
dirty water outside, mosquitoes, worms and undesirable bacteria will soon
fester. In the same way, wherever there is some dirt in your body, all these
germs and insects are likely to accumulate. Not merely that, in the surroundings
of your house you have to keep everything clean. There is a saying, 'Look at the
house and you will know its resident'; in other words, the cleanliness of the
house is a reflection of the cleanliness of the indwellers of that house. This
principle of cleanliness is meant for your own good. Whether it be the house or
its surroundings, if everything is kept clean, you will be happy. You have to
keep yourself and everything around you clean and orderly in order to enjoy good
health. When you have good health you will remain happy.

You may have only two sets of clothes, but when you wear one, you should make
sure that the other is clean. Then, afterwards, you can wear the second set,
cleaning the first. Actually, there is no need even for having two sets of
clothes; just the one may be worn every day as long as you keep it clean.
Whatever you have must be kept clean; do not allow yourself to become dirty. But
just cleaning the exterior and wearing clean clothes, while keeping the heart
impure, is not of much use. You have to make every effort to achieve inner
purity, as well. For this purpose you need to keep all your thoughts and
feelings sacred. Let your thoughts be directed towards the service of others. Do
not allow jealousy or hatred to enter into you. Always try to develop feelings
which are full of joy.

There is no need to bother yourself unnecessarily about others' affairs. Just

always think good of others. In this context the ancient teachings declare, 'Let
the whole world be happy.' To promote universal joy and well-being is the basis
of the spiritual teachings and the object of all spiritual practice. Therefore,
the sacred name of God should be continuously contemplated upon, so that it
purifies your heart. Only when you take proper care to maintain inner and outer
purity will you be able to prevent the entry of impure thoughts and harmful
qualities, such as jealousy and hatred.

Conquer Your Inner Enemies

Prahlada, the great devotee of the Lord,; declared that only when you conquer
the inner enemies can you be considered truly great. He told his father, the
demon king, "You are only a king now, but if you can overcome the inner enemies
that have invaded you, then you can become a great emperor." These inner
enemies, including such evils as hatred, greed, pride and jealousy, make up the
delusion that besets human beings. You should never allow these inner enemies to
enter your heart. If you keep them out, you will be free of all difficulties and
problems. To achieve that, you must treat joy and sorrow, profit and loss, heat
and cold as all the same. When you develop such equanimity, these inner enemies
will not touch you.

But it will be difficult to treat joy and sorrow, misery and happiness as equal
unless you are firmly established in the belief that God is dwelling in every
heart. When you recognize that, then all the pairs of opposites will have been
conquered and they can no longer disturb your equanimity. Then you will be
immersed in divine grace, and no matter how unfavorable may have been your fate,
the hand of destiny can no longer touch you.

When you have the firm belief that the same divinity exists in every heart, then
every obstacle is overcome. When you have full faith in the indwelling divinity,
then anything and everything becomes yours. That faith is the key. It is the
very root of spiritual life. Catch hold of that. That is your goal. If you need
to fell a tree, it's not necessary to first cut away all the branches and
leaves. Cut the trunk and the whole tree comes down. Once you gain hold of the
divinity, everything comes under your control. To do this, you must develop the
practice of expressing your compassion for all beings, until this concern for
the welfare of others suffuses every action of your life. And also, you must
develop both inner and outer purity, keeping both body and mind sparkling clean.
Only then will you be able to recognize the divinity that is everpresent
everywhere.

You need to realize that when in your devotion you pray to God and offer him
your obeisance, it is the same God who is dwelling in every heart. So you must
be very careful not to criticize others. You must develop the strong conviction
that any criticism you direct towards another being will go straight to God,
residing in that heart.

The Two Banks of the River of Life

Life may be compared to a river. If you allow this river of life to proceed
unchecked and unbounded, you are likely to destroy many villages. You have to
take whatever measures are needed to see to it that this river remains within
its bounds and reaches the ocean. It is only the ocean which can bear this river
and absorb it. How to make this river of life reach the ocean? In the Gita it
has been said, you must have two banks constructed. When the river has two
banks, it can safely go on and reach the ocean.

What are these two banks for the river of life? They have been described as two
powerful mantras. On one side you have a mantra which says,
He who has doubts will perish.
On the other side you have a mantra which says,
He who has faith will attain wisdom.

So the two banks for the river of life have to do with renunciation of doubt and
the blossoming forth of faith. When you have these two banks channeling your
life, then you will reach the goal and merge in the ocean. This teaching given
by Krishna is the very essence of devotion. It enables you to reach the ocean of
infinite grace.

The Three Principles That Take You to Your Divine Goal

Krishna said, "Child, that ocean of divine grace is the goal of mankind. It is
the ultimate goal of all life. Don't forget that goal. Don't believe in the
world and don't be afraid of death, but ever remember the divinity which is the
very reason for your having taken birth. These are the three principles I give
you:
Never forget God.
Never believe in the world.
Never be afraid of death.
Take these three and inscribe them in your heart. Always remember them, for they
will sanctify your life and bring you to me."

Twenty-Eighth Chapter

FEARLESSNESS - SEEING THE ONE SELF IN EVERYONE

Fear arises when you see another as separate from God. But when you know that
the one divinity is the basis of all you see, then fear leaves you forever. Once
you become established in that awareness of the divinity being everywhere in
everyone and in everything, then you are permanently freed from the specter of
fear.

Embodiments of Love,
You must be firmly grounded in the belief that every name and form that can be
found anywhere in the universe is only a combination of the five elements, and
that the foundation of these five elements is always God. Then fear cannot gain
a foothold within you.

Divinity Is The Basis For Everything

Everything without exception is made up of the same five elements. There is
nothing else to be found in this manifested creation; there is no sixth factor
at all. Consider some of the objects you see in this room. Here is a table, here
is a chair and here is a podium; over there is a window and a door. For all
these different objects, the difference consists only of separate names and
forms; the content, which is wood, is the same in all. Similarly, mountains are
rocky, trees consist of wood, earth consists of mud, the body consists of flesh,
the ocean is made up of water... these are all different names and forms. But,
in composition they are all just combinations of the basic five elements.

These five elements are five aspects or reflections of the one divinity. It is
their divine basis that illuminates them and gives them their existence. Except
for these five reflections of divinity, there exists nothing else in the whole
universe. In all these five, the divinity is the same. It is one. Beyond it
there is no second at all. When you know this without a doubt, then you will
have no fear.

Of all the great virtues, fearlessness occupies the place of primary importance.
It is the ideal virtue. Unless you have fearlessness, you will never be able to
live comfortably. Be it in the secular field, in the battle of life in the
world, or be it in your struggles in the realm of the spirit, you must never
leave room for fear to creep in. It should find no place in your life. When you
are obsessed with fear, you will become extremely timid. You will not be able to
accomplish even the smallest job. When you are filled with fear you cannot shine
in the world. Therefore, the Gita taught that you must become totally fearless.

Fearlessness Is Beyond Body-Consciousness

Fearlessness; is not just the absence of fear. Both fear and the absence of fear
are associated with body-consciousness. Absence of fear can sometimes be
foolish, such as when the body is threatened with harm. But fearlessness is
beyond body-consciousness. It can be experienced only when you recognize the
truth that the one divinity resides in full measure in every heart.

It is said that a person charged with fear dies every step of the way, while a
fearless person dies only once. "Therefore," Krishna told Arjuna, "give up your
fear and become completely fearless!" Only a fearless person can achieve victory
in great undertakings. A person who is truly fearless will have detachment from
all the objects of the world and be saturated with the love of God. On the other
hand, one who is egoistic about his body and his worldly accomplishments will be
charged with fear. Attachments to the worldly objects and egoism will never be
entertained by a person who is free from fear.

In the epics, you will find the story of a demon king who was charged with fear,
whereas his son was completely fearless. The king had placed his trust in the
world. The son, Prahlada, had placed his trust in God. The boy's teachers went
to the demon king and said, "Sire, your son is not afraid at all. However much
trouble we give him he never complains or cries about anything. Rather than
shedding even a single tear out of personal hurt, he constantly praises the Lord
and sings endlessly of the Lord's glory and magnificence." Why was the boy free
of fear? It was because he had the firm faith that there was nothing else in the
world except God. This conviction endowed him with unshakable fearlessness.

In another ancient classic we find a guru commending his disciple on his

fearlessness. The teacher said to his disciple, Janaka, who was a great emperor
and yogi;, "I am very pleased with you. You are now totally freed from fear and
you need never again worry about anything. You have kept your heart entirely
absorbed in the Lord. You are existing only as an instrument of God in the
world, serving him in everything you do. You have no attachments at all to the
objects of the world. You believe that everything in the world has the form of
God and is imbued with divinity. Wherever you look you see only unity in the
diversity that others see. This awareness has made you totally fearless."

Fear Of Death - The Most Powerful of All Fears

Of all the fears that haunt humanity, the fear of death is the strongest. No
matter how courageous and valorous you may be, no matter how highly educated, no
matter how much you may be blessed with unlimited wealth, no matter what great
talents and skills you may possess, the fear of death will be lurking in the
background, annulling all your accomplishments and destroying your self-
confidence. Most people become subject to despair when they see people dying.
The moment they hear of someone's death they consider it very inauspicious and
try to close their ears to it. Even when they are over 100 they get frightened
when they think of death. They always want to live just a little bit longer. But
however much more anyone may aspire to live, death is certain.

The fear of death will not save you from death. Distracting the mind by dwelling
on the transient joys of life will not save you. Your relations and friends
cannot save you. Your great accomplishments cannot save you. All the objects in
the world and all the people in it, are equally washed away by the flow of
death. What profit is there for you to take shelter in those who are also being
washed away? The person who is seeking protection and shelter, and the one from
whom shelter is being sought, are both being washed away. Only when you catch
hold of the divinity, which is the immovable bank of this river of death, can
you nurture any hope of being saved. When you truly know that all there is, is
the divinity, then there is nothing to fear. Then you are saved. You will have
conquered the fear of death.
Fearlessness; may be compared to a great mountain while fear is something like
the small waft of air created by your breath. Can this little current created by
your breath ever shake such a mighty mountain? Of course not. The little wind of
fear can never shake the great mountain of fearlessness. When this steadfast and
unwavering mountain of fearlessness becomes implanted in a mind that is clean
and pure and free of delusions, and when it resides in a heart that is immersed
in bliss, then you are veritably expressing your divine nature. Then the truth
will be established in your heart of hearts, that there is only the one divine
reality existing everywhere. Once you know this all-pervasive divinity to be
your essence you laugh at death, for then death no longer has any power over
you.

Why should anything ever frighten you? What can possibly make you afraid? Death
is really just a kind of joke in this play of life. If the role calls for you to
fall and die on the stage, will you, the actor, be affected? What is so earth-
shaking about the death of a body that is born to die. The body, which is made
up of the five elements, has to be destroyed some day. For the sake of such an
impermanent thing why should you worry? "Arjuna, you are not the one who is
going to kill, nor will those you fight be killed. The only thing that can be
killed is the body. You are the immortal self. You are not the body." This is
the truth that Krishna taught Arjuna and thereby made him fearless. Fearlessness
is a quality that is as vital and as important as your lifebreath itself. It is
the foremost of the virtues taught in the Gita.

Fearlessness Is the Very Nature of a Human Being

In truth, human beings are divine and fearlessness is their very nature. It is
the deeper meaning of the word human. Human refers to your divine essence. Here
is a story to illustrate how human beings are not living up to their divine
nature, but in their actions have become worse than animals.

Once there was a fearsome forest, and living in this forest there were a large
number of animals. In most forests where there are lions there will be no
elephants, and if there are elephants roaming about then there will not be any
lions. But in this forest, there were all types of animals: lions, elephants,
jackals, dogs, monkeys, the whole animal kingdom was present there. One day, a
clever fox thought to himself, 'Human beings boast that there is something
special and unique about human nature. They say that it is extremely rare and
difficult to attain life as a human being. But human beings are born the same
way that we animals are born. All these beings are born from the womb of a
mother. The question is: Why are we all lumped together and called animals,
while human beings are singled out and called humans? In what way are we
inferior to them?'

The fox weighed all the various arguments and counter-arguments to this question
that was perplexing him, and he resolved to prove that there was no distinction
between humans and animals. From that day onwards, he started airing this
problem to all the denizens of that forest. He sought out other animals and
said, "Why should we accept the present state of affairs? People are considering
animal life as inferior to human life. We should take steps to reverse this
erroneous belief." In this way, he began to encourage all the animals living
there to think about this issue and get excited about it. He showed how these
false beliefs had been taught and accepted by all the animals, even by the
mighty elephant who was stronger than anyone and the dauntless lion, who was
their king.

The Grand Meeting Of All The Animals

The fox resolved to have a very big meeting of all the animals to discuss these
points and frame some resolutions on which they could universally agree. The
name proposed for this meeting was 'the great gathering of the four-footed
ones'. It was decided that on a particular day, at a particular time, all of
them would come together in a big open area and assemble for this special
meeting.

Initially, three agenda items were agreed upon. The first was that human beings,
just like animals, are born from the womb of a mother; therefore there should be
only one name, both for humans and animals. Either humans should be called
animals or animals should be called humans; but there should not be two
different names and two different titles. That was the first resolution they
wanted to pass at the meeting. The second agenda item was that animals had been
called unwise, while humans claim to be endowed with wisdom. But animals should
not accept this. In what way do humans have superior wisdom to the animals? The
fox was particularly insistent on this point. He asked, "What is this wisdom
that man has, that we do not have? We have to firmly resolve that there is the
same wisdom in both humans and animals."

The third agenda item that the fox proposed was, "Humans are considered to be
talking animals whereas we are dumb; that is considered to be a very great
disadvantage to us, which they claim makes a big difference. But even if we are
dumb, what is it that we are lacking? By having learned the ability to talk and
by possessing that skill, what is the extraordinary happiness that humans have
attained? Let us propose that talking and dumbness be considered more or less
the same."

"Then there is also a fourth point we should consider," the fox added. "Human
beings think of us as being restless and excitable whereas they consider
themselves to be calm and peaceful in nature. But none of us should agree to
this. The peaceful nature that we have, even man does not possess. We deserve
the reputation and recognition that we are far superior in serenity to human
beings." They all agreed that these four points should be discussed in the
meeting. But then they wondered whom they should ask to preside over their
meeting.

The fox pointed out that there were a number of great sages who had been doing
penance in the forest. "We should select a very highly accomplished sage to
preside over our meeting," he suggested. They all agreed and resolved to send
the fox to find a wise man whom they could trust to be true and just, and
request him to chair their meeting. After a long search, the fox came to a cave
in which he saw a sage engaged in penance. His instinct told him that he had
found the right holy man to chair their gathering. He reverentially approached
the sage and prayed to him, "Swami, in the kingdom of animals we have decided to
have a very important meeting and we request you to preside over it." The sage,
who recognized everything as the living divinity, said, "All right, I will be
happy to come and preside over your meeting." So, in a vast open field they
arranged to have their gathering.

In that forest, every animal from the smallest to the biggest came with all
their children, and many brought their grandchildren also, to attend this
important meeting. They were all in very high spirits and extremely happy to
take part in such a grand meeting. And they all showed a great deal of respect
for their president. A high platform was provided for the president. Just beside
the chair for the president, a chair was provided for the lion. The sage
presiding over the function was also in very good spirits and was not the least
bit afraid of the lion who was sitting next to him. This sage recognized the
existence of God in every living being; therefore, he was full of fearlessness.
Once all of the animals were seated, there was a need for properly welcoming the
august assembly. The secretary for this great meeting was the fox. The fox began
his welcoming address.

"Revered president, your excellency the king, honored minister, dear brothers
and sisters! This day is a day which will be written in golden letters in the
annals of this great forest and all its denizens. This is an unforgettable day
which will never be forgotten in the whole animal kingdom, for today we will
achieve a grand success in this most important meeting for which we have all
assembled here. In coming together here you have all made some notable
sacrifices. You have given up a great number of activities and have made time
available in your busy lives to participate in this meeting. So, in the very
first place, let me express my deepest gratitude to all of you." Then the
secretary went on and explained the items on the agenda. As soon as the agenda
had been presented, the lion got up and addressed the vast gathering.

In What Way Are Human Beings Better Than Animals?

The lion told them, "You have all heard what my brother has said to you. I want
you to know that the great qualities you have, like valor and courage, humans do
not really have. I myself am a direct proof of this. If you consider the courage
and valor, the magnificent prowess and strength which I have, where will you
find any human being who is my equal? Though I am king of the animals, I never
take any wrong or unjustifiable actions. Without reason I do not kill animals.

Only when I am hungry will I take a little food. I do not kill any animals for
sport; I never waste any food. Consider our courage, our code of ethics, our
high level of morality. Can you find such great qualities in human beings? No!
They don't have them at all. Therefore, why should we be afraid of them? Why
should we be thought of as inferior to humans? Today, let us resolve to wipe out
this blot on our reputation." When the lion finished his address there was an
uproarious cheer and the applause resounded throughout the entire forest.

When things quieted down, the elephant, who was sitting just by the side of the
lion got up and said, "Humans are not even half as big as my leg. In form I am
certainly mighty and magnificent. In intelligence I have attained proverbial
greatness. Kings, emperors, distinguished leaders, all have developed great
regard for me. If ever a coronation was to be performed and I were not there, it
would have to be postponed. When I am so great, how can you say that humans are
superior to me? My intelligence is extraordinary. Therefore, even if you
consider just these two, my intelligence and my physical size, you must conclude
that humans can never be equal to me." Again the audience cheered their
agreement.

The fox got up and said, "The lion, our illustrious king, has just talked to
you, and the big elephant, our distinguished minister, has also spoken his mind.
Now we would like to invite a representative of the smaller animals to come and
address us." At this point a dog who had strayed into the forest, and who had
many experiences with human beings, was asked to speak to the gathering. It
offered its humble salutations to the president, to the king, to the minister,
to the secretary and to all in that great throng who had assembled there. Then
it said, "Although I am very small and weak, in faith there is no one that can
be compared to me. I have unswerving faith and unlimited loyalty to the person
who has brought me up, and who looks after me. I will always be grateful and
faithful, even if I lose my life. Even if I am hurt and harmed by my master, I
will not return the harm in kind. Everyone knows that human beings do not have
this sense of loyalty which a dog has. In this quality of loyalty I can never be
considered inferior to human beings.

"Among themselves, humans often give trouble to the ones who most lovingly take
care of them and guide them, such as their own parents or their teachers. Humans
will not hesitate to do bad in return for the good which is given to them. They
will criticize and concoct schemes to deceive and hurt the very ones who have
looked after them so carefully. Humans do not have any gratitude at all. They do
not have any loyalty. Only so long as their purposes are being served will they
pretend to be obedient. The moment their own selfish interests have been taken
care of, they start troubling their own teachers. When humans are like this how
can we be considered inferior to mankind?" There was complete agreement in the
audience. A nodding of heads and sounds of "Hear! Hear!" affirmed every point
the gentle dog had made. In this way, one by one, others got up and had their
say. Appropriate to their status and experience, they gave speeches, extolling
the many fine qualities practiced by the animals but which were being ignored by
human beings. Finally, there was the speech of the president.

Through Effort Humans Can Transform Their Lower Nature

The sage addressed the gathering, "Dear animals. All that you have just spoken
of is true. Whenever a spiritual teacher does something or says something to us,
it is meant for our own good. It is intended to promote our inner development
and also our friendship and good understanding with others. But as soon as this
friendship flowers and understanding blossoms forth, human beings become
suspicious and think that something bad is being done to them. To your face,
they will offer salutations and use words of praise but behind your back they
will criticize and revile you. Filling themselves with opposites like that and
with low forms of cleverness, they waste their intelligence and their lives. All
the defects that have been pointed out here are certainly true and present in
humans. As for food, sleep, breathing and such things, there is absolutely no
difference between humans and animals."

The sage continued, "I do want to point out, however, that there is one
specialty in human beings that is unique, in which they cannot be compared with
the animals. Animals may inherit a streak of cruelty. Once they have acquired
that they cannot change it. A tiger, however hungry he may be, will not eat rice
and curry. He only aspires to have mutton. He will not settle for just a little
tea and biscuits. However much he may try to change his habits, he will not
succeed. On the other hand, if sufficient efforts are made by humans, they can
transform their cruel nature and any of their bad habits. The most important
difference between humans and animals is that humans, with effort, can bring
about a complete transformation in themselves, whereas animals will not be able
to accomplish that. These special capacities and skills for transforming
themselves are only available to human beings."

The fox got up and said, "Swami, we will concede that human beings have these
special capacities for changing themselves, but if they do not make use of these
capacities, do they deserve the high status that they now enjoy?" The president
declared, "If anyone has the capacity to change himself but does not use it,
then he is much worse than an animal." At this all the animals burst into an
uproarious applause. The cheering went on and on until the president gaveled for
order. The sage then repeated the principal point he had just made... that any
human beings who had the capacity for doing good, but who did not use this
quality to improve their own behavior and develop the good within themselves,
were, without a doubt, worse than animals. Then the sage added, "What is the use
of all the learning that human beings accumulate? Will it change their faith? As
soon as bad thoughts enter their heads, their thinking becomes dull and they
become like idiots. In learning and skills, humans have attained a high status.

But all this learning is only for the sake of procuring some bread. They use
their education only to fill their bellies and to eke out a livelihood."
At this point, the fox got up and added to what the president had just said, "In
the process of eking out their livelihood, humans use all kinds of unethical
means. In this respect, it is clear that we animals are much better than human
beings." The fox got carried away by his own rhetoric. He continued for some
time on the same theme. "We are always fair in gaining our livelihood. In all
respects, when compared to humans, we are far better. Really, we are the BEST!"
He got an exuberant, almost riotous ovation from the whole four-footed assembly.
Everyone agreed whole-heartedly with this appraisal and urged the fox on to say
more. But now the enthusiasm had exceeded its limits and the president pounded
the gavel and called for order. The sage arose and made a few additional
remarks. He explained the second major difference that make human beings unique.

He said, "Man has been able to conquer maya, he has been able to master
illusion. Once he has achieved that, he is able to experience the atma, his own
true divine self. Then he can reach the state of nirvana, the exalted state of
eternal bliss. This is a vital difference between humans and animals.
The Vital Difference Between Human Beings and Animals

"Human beings have the power and also the authority to conquer maya and totally
free themselves from delusion. If man takes the trouble and makes the effort, he
will be able to directly experience the atma and, thereby, know himself as the
divinity that he truly is. With the help of spiritual exercises he can reach
nirvana and be immersed in supreme bliss. In the interest of truth, I have to
point out that you animals do not have these powers and potentialities with
which human beings have been endowed." The sage added, "Dear children, in the
English language, human beings have been collectively called mankind, using the
generic term m-a-n. The same is given in Sanskrit as manava. The inner
significance of m-a-n is that human beings can separate and remove this
illusion, maya; they can get the vision of atma, and immerse themselves in
wisdom and joy in the state that is called nirvana. This, then, is the meaning
conveyed by these letters m-a-n, where 'm' stands for 'maya removed', 'a' stands
for 'atma realized, and 'n' stands for 'nirvana attained'. Attaining nirvana
means that man becomes one with joy and bliss. So, a true human being is one who
has removed the ignorance of maya, who has had a vision of the atma and who has
become merged in the supreme state of bliss."

When the sage had finished, all the animals bowed their heads and there was a
deep reflective silence as they mulled over the words the president had spoken.
They had to agree that these were three possibilities, which they, in their
present forms, could never hope to achieve. But then a question was raised by
one bold buck, "Have all human beings been able to attain this?" The sage
responded with a resounding "No!" He said, "Only very, very few people care at
all about these extraordinary treasures which are their birthright. Most people
fritter away their lives, never pursuing these invaluable opportunities of human
life. Their pursuits reek with selfishness and they treat each other much worse
than animals. Although humans have this great capacity for wisdom and bliss,
they do not develop themselves in this direction and, so, they have not been
able to derive any real joy from their lives."

Most Human Beings Behave Even Worse Than Animals

The animals came to a consensus and agreed that those people who do not make any
effort at all in these directions are just like them and there is absolutely no
reason for distinguishing them from animals. The sage agreed. Then, on a
personal note, the president explained the reasons why he had come into the
forest to live. He said, "Human beings do not care much about these noble
qualities. Animals give trouble only to those who give them trouble; otherwise
they will live in peace with one another. But humans hurt those who do not hurt
them at all. Without any reason they begin to blame and cause trouble, harming
people who are unblemished and who have given them no cause for provocation.

Humans also enter into all kinds of improper work which they have no right to be
engaged in." He concluded, "It is for these reasons that many true spiritual
seekers have become renunciates, have given up the company of men and gone into
the forest to live. Humanity is becoming increasingly selfish. Whatever people
say, whatever they do, whatever they think, is laced with selfish motives.
Animals do not have such selfishness. Animals are not harming other animals and
accumulating wealth. Therefore, in many ways humans behave worse than animals."
In this context Krishna said to Arjuna, "Be a true human being, not one who is
worse than an animal. Rise above the animal nature to your true human nature.

There are two qualities of animals that you should never have. You are neither a
sheep, which is timid and fearful, nor are you a tiger, which is cruel to
others. You are a man. You are worthy of higher things. Be fearless! Do not ever
allow yourself to be subjected to fear. In truth you yourself are the divinity.
Sorrow and fear can never have any power over you."

When You Have A Firm Faith In God You Will Be Fearless

There is infinite power inherent in the human heart. But despite such power, you
do not have faith in yourself. What is the reason for this? The reason is that
you feel separate. You believe that you are different from the divinity. But in
truth, the divinity is always inside you as your very core. This same divinity
pervades the entire universe. When you develop a firm faith in God, you will
never have any fear whatsoever. You will recognize that the God you worship is
the one who is present everywhere in everyone and in everything, and also in
yourself. That belief will remove all vestige of fear from your heart.

But if you do not have that faith then you will be ridden with fear. Every
moment, every step, you will be frightened. When you have an examination you
will be afraid. While going in an airplane, you will be afraid. When a truck
comes in the opposite direction on the road, you will be afraid. Right from the
very moment when you get up from bed until you again go to bed you will be
afraid. And even in bed you will be afraid that thieves might break into the
house and steal your belongings. You will be expending your entire time in fear.
But this is not the way a human being should live. You should become steeped in
the conviction that the divinity is present everywhere and thereby attain utter
fearlessness.

Your faith in the omnipresent divinity is the key to developing fearlessness.

Only when you lose faith will you develop fear. Only when you forget your true
self will fear arise. You have forgotten your own true nature. You have
forgotten the atma. You are considering yourself to be this little five-and-a-
half-foot body, but the truth is that you are infinite in form and your power is
unlimited. When you make an effort to remove the delusions and get a vision of
the atma, you become immersed in the bliss of nirvana. Then you can call
yourself a real human being.

If you make no effort along the path of self-realization, but demean yourself
into dark, selfish pursuits and degenerate behavior, you become more like a
demon than a human being. Do not fall to such depths. Conduct your life so that
you can truly call yourself a human being and live up to the high ideals that
you inherited when you were given this sacred human birth.

Develop Good Qualities And Gain the Grace of the Lord

One of the names Krishna used to address Arjuna was the one who delights in
being engaged in work. When most of you are given some work to do, you quickly
get disgusted with it. When Sunday comes and you have a day off from work, you
are happy. But if ever a day came when Arjuna had no work, he would be very
unhappy. Arjuna always felt a great deal of joy and delight when he worked. The
different names Krishna used for Arjuna in the Gita, are associated with various
noble qualities and virtues. You will be able to understand the nature of the
divinity, if every day you take up one virtue and try to incorporate it in your
life.

Patience, forbearance, compassion and nonviolence are some of the qualities that
have already been taken up in these chapters. Now you have also learned about
fearlessness. There are a number of other important qualities. Only when you
develop these qualities in your daily activities, will you be able to earn the
grace of the Lord. Without developing these noble qualities you will not be able
to gain a place in God's house, irrespective of the education, position, and
wealth you have been able to earn. A person is not permitted to go to another
country without a passport. Similarly, in order to earn the grace of God, your
good qualities serve you as your passport. You must develop these qualities.

Along with your education you should also acquire good habits and a sterling
character. Without these, all your education will be of no use. This education
you are now pursuing is only useful for living in the physical world. It will
not take you to God. In the world of today, scientists have been able to glean a
number of secrets from nature. But have they been able to gain peace of mind?
Have they been able to get joy and happiness from the machines they developed?
Happiness and peace cannot come from these. You can get peace only from the
divinity.

The worldly happiness and peace you get is but momentary and impermanent. It
cannot take you to the state of permanent bliss. The wisdom chapter of the Gita
emphasizes the practice of recognizing the one all-pervasive divinity that is
always very near to you. This chapter is a very long one; there are 72 verses in
it. But you will not be able to get rid of your sorrow by just learning these
verses and merely chanting them every day. That will not be of much use to you.
You will have to make a very strong effort to practice the inner meaning of
these verses and apply them constantly in your day-to-day experiences. Only when
you practice them in your daily life and make them your own, will you be able to
earn the grace of God and be forever united with him.

Twenty-Ninth Chapter

TURN TOWARDS GOD AND - GOD WILL TURN TOWARDS YOU

When you develop your power of discrimination and become fully awake to the
indwelling divinity, you will not suffer sorrow nor be subjected to fear. But as
long as you have attachment to the body and attachment to objects, fear and
suffering will be with you. Therefore, Krishna told Arjuna to develop his
discrimination and rid himself of body consciousness. He told him that once he
was free of body consciousness he would be able to develop integral vision.

Embodiments of Love,
Mankind today has three types of vision. The first is body-oriented vision,
which is totally superficial. When you have this kind of vision you see only the
external appearance of others, such as the clothes and the ornaments they wear,
their facial features, their body characteristics, their peculiarities of
speech, etc. This type of vision is oriented only towards the phenomenal world.
The second kind of vision is insightful vision. Instead of focusing on the
external characteristics of others, you focus on their inner feelings,
particularly as it is reflected in their behavior and expressions. You gauge the
thoughts in another's mind and the feelings in their hearts by carefully
watching what they say and do. When you have this kind of vision, you become
concerned primarily with the deeper feelings and motivations of the other
person.

Sacred Vision
The third kind of vision is integral vision. With this kind of vision, you do
not concentrate on another's external features or even their inner feelings.
When you have integral vision you see the divine consciousness that pervades
everyone, the inner unity that prevails everywhere despite body differences and
differences in expression and emotional makeup. You realize that feelings,
thoughts and behavioral characteristics all undergo change and transformation.
But, you are not interested in characteristics that change with time. With
integral vision you are wholly oriented towards the unchanging, indwelling
divinity. Such a deep inner vision is a sacred vision. When you have this you
are in the hands of God. More than that, not only are you in the hands of God,
but verily you become God himself.

The truly wise say that one who knows God becomes God. As you perceive so you
become. Therefore, when you gain integral vision, you take on the sacred nature
of the divinity itself. To become a person of the highest wisdom, you must
develop integral vision. You must steadily abide in the inner unity that is at
the core of all the outer diversity. It is for this reason that Krishna
commanded Arjuna to steadily turn his vision towards his highest self, and to
maintain that vision at all times, under all circumstances.

Chariot Festivals
In India, there has been a tradition from ancient days for temples in villages
and towns to conduct chariot festivals. During these festivities the idol of the
deity installed in that temple is taken in procession. First, a huge chariot is
constructed for this purpose. Then the chariot is elaborately decorated and a
beautiful seat is provided therein for the deity. On the auspicious day, the
deity is transferred from the temple to the chariot with appropriate rituals and
incantations. The chariot is then taken through the streets in a colorful
procession pulled by devotees and preceded by groups of dancers, musicians and
singers. Along the course of the procession, many people offer worship to the
deity by lighting sacred lamps and waving them as the chariot comes by.

During these festivals thousands of people gather, coming from all the
surrounding villages. Three kinds of people come. The first kind, which
constitutes the bulk of the people present for the festival, concentrate all
their attention on the chariot and its external appearance. Then there are
others who concentrate mostly on the sacred feelings generated by the
procession, such as the fervent piety of those who are pulling the chariot, the
ecstatic joy of the dancers and singers, and the reverence of the priests and
devotees who are offering worship. Thirdly, there are a few who recognize the
real purpose for which this festival has been arranged. Only this small handful
cares to have a vision of the indweller, the sacred person who is seated in the
chariot.
Of course, the festival is being celebrated for the purpose of installing the
image of God in the chariot. Without the representation of God, the festival
would have no meaning. This sacred figure inside the chariot represents the
indweller, who is God himself. But only the rare individual will turn his full
attention towards that divinity. Most people will see only the physical
appearance of the chariot, its decorations and other such things as the fine
raiment put on the sacred image inside, the costumes worn by the dancers and
musicians, and all the sound and color of the festivities. The largest number
will concentrate only on these external things. But there will also be some
people who concentrate their attention on the rituals of worship and the
offerings being made, such as the breaking of coconuts, the waving of lamps and
incense, and the devotion expressed through these rituals. The number of people
with this kind of vision and interest will be much smaller than those who
concentrate on the decorations, the dances and dramas and all the external
paraphernalia associated with the festival.

But the divine person who has been installed in this chariot, who is driving
this chariot and who is the resident of this chariot will be seen by only a very
small number of intensely-devoted people who yearn to have the sacred vision of
the divinity. In the huge throng turning out for the festival, such people may
be counted on the fingers of one's hand. For them, all the outer trappings and
all the sound and excitement of the procession will only get in the way of their
having a real vision of God. All they long for is to see and be with their
beautiful Lord, whose representation is seated in the chariot.

The Chariot of the Human Body

What is the deeper meaning of this chariot? How many such chariots are there?
The chariot that is being spoken of here is the human body. So there is not just
one chariot but millions upon millions of chariots. Every day, these chariots
move from street to street and house to house, taking the indwelling resident in
procession. You have been developing your vision in such a way that you see only
the body and its external features or the expressions arising from various
feelings and emotional states, but you have not learned to develop the internal
vision, the vision which perceives the indwelling person in this chariot of the
body, and understands who he really is. It is a very rare individual who
attempts to look deeper, beyond the external and superficial aspect of the body,
and beyond the emotional and mental traits of the individual, to try to discover
the sacred divine principle which is there inside.

The bodies of human beings are not the only chariots. The bodies of animals like
dogs or tigers or elephants are also chariots. In fact, the body of every being
is a chariot. For example, Lord Shiva is depicted as riding on Nandi, the bull.
The bullock is Shiva's chariot. Yet, when you see a bullock, you do not think of
Lord Shiva; still he will be seated there. When you see a rat, you will not be
thinking of Ganesha, the elephant god, who represents the aspects of protection
and wisdom in the divinity. Lord Ganesha will be there, riding on that rat. The
rat is his vehicle, so it is also a chariot in which God is installed. In a
similar way, lions, crows, dogs, snakes, eagles and so many other animals and
birds are used as vehicles for the many different aspects of God. In truth,
every living being is a chariot taking God in procession.

These days you are developing the vision that sees only the chariot. You are
focusing all your concentration on the external decorations. In this age, almost
your entire time is spent on adorning the chariot and seeing to the comforts and
pleasures of the body. As a result, you are paying attention only to the
external differences and you are not spending any time trying to see the
indweller.

"Therefore, Arjuna," said Krishna, "know that all these people about whom you
are so concerned, are only chariots. They may be grandfathers, they may be
brothers, they may be cousins, whoever they may be, they are only chariots. In
truth, you are seeing only chariots in the form of these various relatives and
teachers. You have been keeping your vision clouded by seeing only the body. But
a sacred person like you should not care so much for externals. You must
concentrate your mind on the indweller who is seated in every human body. Then
only will your vision become sacred. Such sacred vision alone can provide the
basis for your victory.

"Only a person who has sacred vision can achieve success in great undertakings.
Arjuna, people are giving the same value to the shadow as they give to that
which is casting the shadow; they are giving the same value to the reflection as
they give to the one whose reflection they are seeing. But that is not correct.
The unchanging, sacred principle which has given rise to all these shadows and
reflections is the eternal self. It is the atma. Its value is unlimited and
beyond all measure. On the other hand, the external beauties of these bodies and
all the thoughts and feelings and behaviors that are being manifested in these
bodies, are all just images. They are only shadows or reflections without any
real substance or lasting value."

When Arjuna gave so much value to mere reflections, he was displaying his
ignorance. His was not a worldly type of ignorance, but ignorance related to the
spirit. Arjuna had not developed his inner vision. He was not yet able to
discriminate between that which is real and that which is unreal. In order to
save him from all the misunderstandings and confusion which would inevitably
arise when there is a lack of inner vision, Krishna undertook to teach Arjuna
the sacred knowledge of the eternal self. Krishna instructed Arjuna in the
spiritual exercises which had to be practiced in order to attain this highest
wisdom.

The Field of the Heart

Before a farmer can raise a crop in his field, he has to do a great deal of
preparation. Before the seeds can be sown, the land must be cleared of brush,
stones and weeds, and then it has to be softened by plowing and irrigation. The
farmer must determine what particular types of seeds will grow best on that
land, and what kind of nutrients would be required to fertilize the soil. When
all these preparations are completed, he finally sows the seeds. Therefore,
before a crop can be raised, the entire field has to be made ready for
cultivation. Stones and weeds have to be dug out and thrown away. Only then can
the appropriate seeds be sown to assure a good crop.

In a similar way, a spiritual aspirant must also carefully prepare the field of
his heart. The same principles of cultivation apply to that field. First, one
has to remove from the heart all undesirable thoughts and useless habits. They
have to be dug up and cleaned out. After that, you have to irrigate the entire
field of the heart with the waters of love. These waters of love make the heart
soft and cultivatable. With the help of spiritual practices, you have to plow
the field of your heart and spread the fertilizer of faith in order to make the
soil rich and nutritious for the seeds to grow well there. Only when all this
has been done will the entire field of the heart be ready for sowing. When the
heart is covered with bad weeds of base thoughts, when it is barren, hard and
dry and infertile, how can good seeds grow there and have any chance of maturing
into a bountiful crop?
It is in this connection that Krishna said to Arjuna, "Arjuna, you must
cultivate and transform the field of your heart. You must root out your external
vision. Develop a pure and strong flow of love for God. Sow the seeds of God's
name in your heart and you will raise a rich harvest of unity consciousness
there, for that is what grows best in that field. That is its very nature. Then
you will become a man of steady wisdom and attain your spiritual goal. In the
garden of your heart you will be able to enjoy the sacred fruit of liberation.
Once you have that, fear can never again trouble you.

True Fearlessness
When you have steady faith and an integral vision, and when you constantly think
of the indwelling divinity, you will not become elated by joy nor shrink away
from sorrow. It is only then that you will become completely fearless.
Fearlessness does not mean the absence of fear. True fearlessness completely
transcends fear. It is altogether different and much higher than the mere
removal of fear. The latter is a momentary experience; it comes and it goes. For
example, if you happen to see a rope lying on the ground after dusk, you might
think, in the failing light, that it was a snake. Fearing that the snake might
harm you, you would switch on your flashlight to get a better look at it and see
if it is a poisonous snake. But as soon as the light shines on it you realize
that it is not a snake at all but a piece of rope, and with this realization
your fear disappears instantly. Here you were subjected to fear and then you
became free of fear; both were just transitory experiences.

Fear is only a delusion created by the mind; lack of fear is also a delusion
created by the mind. Mistaking one thing for another leads to fear; recognizing
the mistake and rectifying it leads to the removal of that fear. But, true
fearlessness is not associated with these two at all. Fearlessness is a
permanent state where there is no question of ever experiencing any fear. When
you are imbued with fearlessness you are continuously aware of your own reality.
At that point, it would be impossible for you to become subject to fear. You
should not consider this quality of fearlessness as just the absence of fear.
When you are truly fearless you will not be aware of any second entity, at all.
You can have fear only when there exists a second object who evokes the fear in
you. But, fearlessness is always associated with unity consciousness. It refers
to non-duality, where there can be no two but always just one. Only in the state
of non-duality will you be truly fearless.

When you forget your true self you will suffer from fear. When you remember only
the world and not God, you will suffer from fear. When you are filled with
desires and attachments, you will suffer from fear. When you are deluded by
objects, you will suffer from fear. On the other hand, when you are immersed in
the transcendental reality, you will be totally free from fear; you will never
be afraid of anything. Then you will be truly fearless.

Krishna said, "Arjuna, there is only one thing you will have to develop. You
need not develop further your vision of the phenomenal world; nor do you need to
further develop your mind. You need only to develop the vision of the one
existing everywhere in everyone. If you know it, and if you remember it, then
you will not be subject to this constant cycling between fear and its removal.
So long as you have the deluded perspective that the world is real and made up
of separate objects, your vision will be clouded and you will be subject to
fear. But when you recognize the truth of the unity of the whole creation, you
will be forever fearless. A person like you should become wise and never again
experience fear."
The Story of Gajendra, the Elephant
You will have to control your tendency to look outwards towards the body and its
deeds and towards the mind with its thoughts and feelings. Instead, develop the
inward vision of the sacred self. This is the true vision, the integral vision.
There is a fine example of this in the ancient spiritual classic called the
Bhagavatam. It is the story of Gajendra, an elephant who was caught by a
crocodile. This elephant, Gajendra, had a strong ego and he was convinced that
with his great strength he would be able to fight and free himself from the
crocodile. But here two facts must be known; elephants are very powerful on
land, crocodiles are very powerful in the water. When an elephant enters the
water he will not have so much strength, and when a crocodile comes out on land
he will also be less mighty than in his natural habitat, the water. In this
case, because the crocodile was in the water he was able to exercise all his
great strength. But the elephant, Gajendra, was very arrogant; he was blown up
with ego and felt that no crocodile could ever be equal to an elephant, who was
the lord of the forest. He did not know that a crocodile in the water would be
more than a match for any elephant away from land.

For a long time they fought relentlessly. Finally the elephant got tired and
lost all his physical as well as mental strength. He had placed all his
confidence in his physical and mental prowess, but having exhausted all that, he
began praying to the Lord. As long as his vision had been directed to his body
he did not look towards God. As long as he had confidence in his own bodily and
mental strength, the thought of God did not arise and the Lord's grace did not
descend. When the elephant lost his physical and mental power and turned towards
God, immediately Lord Vishnu hurled his sacred discus, and freed Gajendra from
the catastrophe that had overtaken him. Now, the discus spoken of here does not
refer to a mere weapon used by the Lord; but it refers to his grace. You evoke
God's grace by turning your vision towards God. Then God turns his vision
towards you.

Turn Your Vision Towards God And See Your Self

When will you acquire God's vision that will forever keep you in his grace? Only
when you renounce all your egocentric beliefs in your own strength of body and
mind. You gain God's grace when you turn your vision towards God, put yourself
wholly in his hands and, just as the elephant Gajendra did, surrender yourself
completely to his will. When you turn your vision towards the teacher you love,
the teacher will turn towards you. Even if the teacher's vision were to fall on
you, if you had not at the same time turned your vision towards your teacher,
you would not have been able to experience the teacher's beneficent gaze. Now,
all your vision is concentrated on the body. The effulgence of the shining sun
may be all around you but its light will not have entered the room where you are
staying. What is the reason for this? You have put curtains and shutters on the
windows and kept the warm rays of sunlight out. Only when you break open these
dark curtains and shutters will the effulgence of the sun enter your inner
apartment.

In the same way, you have covered your vision with shutters of doubt and ego and
thick curtains of body-consciousness, and so the rays of grace are not able to
penetrate through and enter your heart. You might say, "I have not been able to
get the grace of God." But how will you be able to get it if you do not turn
your gaze on him?

When you do not look to God, then surely you will not be able to see God. If I
am standing directly in front of you and you are standing directly in front of
me, and we are looking at each other, what is it that we will see? Who will you
see in my eyes and who will I see in your eyes? We will see each other, in each
other's eyes. When we stand face to face, I can see my vision in you and you can
see your vision in me. But if you stand behind or turn away, how can I see my
vision in you, or you see your vision in me? It would be impossible. In the same
way, if you want your eyes to meet the eyes of God, you must come and be
directly in front of him and concentrate your vision on him. When you do, he
will turn his benevolent gaze upon you, and you will see a vision of your higher
self.

When the sight of the elephant, Gajendra, was turned towards God, God's sight
met with it, because God's sight then turned towards him. Once that happened,
all problems were automatically solved.

The Elephant of Arrogance and the Crocodile of Attachment

Who is this elephant? This proud elephant is arrogance and pride. When a man is
full of arrogance and pride, he develops desire. Desire may be compared to
thirst. When this proud man develops thirst, he goes to the waters of the world
to drink. Even before he enters these waters completely, attachment catches hold
of him. Attachment and possessiveness are the powerful crocodile that robs you
of all your strength and makes you cry so pitifully. Before entering the waters
of the world, before having gained so many attachments, you will have only
rarely cried. For example, before marriage, a young man will feel free and
unencumbered. But after marriage there will be a continuous growth of
attachments. Then one has to take care of wife, children, parents, in-laws and
quite a few other relatives, and soon it feels like the whole world has laid
hold of him and is pulling him down under the waters.

Once you develop egoism and pride then desires follow. Soon attachments come,
and from attachments all these bonds develop. When bonds develop, you will be so
distracted you will not be able to turn towards God and see him. Only when you
look towards God will you be able to see him. Then he will look towards you, and
you will be able to perceive your own true image. "Therefore," Krishna
cautioned, "do not become a victim of this bondage, Arjuna. Keep your mind clear
and pure. Always look towards the immortal self, the universal principle. It is
the one divinity existing in all things. Cultivate such sacred vision in your
mind. Do not allow the weeds and shrubs of ego and body-consciousness to develop
in your heart. Instead, grow the tree of God's grace in your heart. Turn your
sight towards God. Let this be your objective. Make that your goal."

Thirtieth Chapter

TO BECOME FREE - SURRENDER YOUR MIND TO GOD

The entire world is made up of three qualities. These qualities constitute

illusion. They can be spoken of as density or inertia, action or reaction, and
balance or harmony. Although their effects are very different, all three
qualities befog your understanding. As long as these qualities reside in your
heart you will remain in bondage.

Embodiments of Love,
Among the three qualities enumerated above, the first two, namely inertia and
excessive activity, are responsible for all the sorrows, grief, troubles and
problems that you experience. Whenever torpor, laziness, drowsiness or
sleepiness manifest, or whenever unconscionable fear or rage or hatred take hold
of you, then you are overwhelmed by the quality of inertia or density, which in
Sanskrit is called tamas. Whenever strong desires, frenzied activities,
impatience, passion, emotional and self-interested actions of all kinds
predominate, then the second quality, which in Sanskrit is called rajas, holds
sway over you. When these two qualities are in control, your real human nature
is forgotten. They bring out the animal nature and the demonic nature in human
beings. Therefore, to begin with, these two qualities of tamas and rajas will
have to be expunged from you.

Root Out the Weeds of Tamas and Rajas

A farmer who wants to gain a good crop starts by removing the weeds from his
field. As long as the weeds cover the field, depleting the soil of nutrients and
energy, the crops will not have a chance. Therefore, the removal of this
unwanted growth is an essential precondition for raising a good crop. In the
same way, if you want to gain enlightenment, if you want to realize the bliss of
the eternal self, if you want to abide in the unending joy of the atma, you will
have to remove from the field of your heart the weeds of tamas and rajas. They
have rooted there in the form of desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and
jealousy, the baneful inner enemies which must be conquered. These inner enemies
are the children of tamas and rajas. They keep you locked up in delusion. As
long as these weeds remain within you, you will not be able to reap the bliss of
the atma.

The first chapter of the Gita is filled with Arjuna's anguish and wailing. The
two qualities tamas and rajas had taken over his heart and were responsible for
Arjuna's grief and sorrow. Krishna taught Arjuna, that in the first place, he
had to root out tamas and rajas from his heart, so that he could fully express
his human nature. But, to express his true divine nature, even the third of the
three qualities that make up illusion, the one which in Sanskrit is called satva
and which is characterized by a balanced peaceful manner, had to be transcended.
It is also a limitation which covers your divine nature, although with a very
fine veil. All three qualities keep you locked into the individual personality
and prevent you from fully realizing your divine self. Krishna told Arjuna,
"Offer all three qualities, tamas, rajas and satva, to me. Then you will be free
of timidity and sorrow, and you will be able to achieve victory in the world."

Clean Your Heart Thoroughly To Welcome God There

If you are inviting a great spiritual being such as a sage or a revered teacher
to your house, there are certain preparations which you will have to undertake
in cleansing, adorning and decorating your house. You will have to clean inside
and out and bring order to the surroundings before the guest arrives. Great
people will not enter a house which is full of dirt and which lacks sacredness.
In the same way, when you have invited the governor or a high official to your
town, you clean the roads and decorate the paths and keep everything ready and
fit to receive the distinguished personage. Even though this person holds only a
temporary position, you will still take great care to clean your house and make
many preparations to welcome the honored guest to your place.

When you make so much effort to receive a worldly official, then how much more
effort and preparation should you make to invite the very creator and protector
of the world to come to your house? Clearly, when you welcome God into your
heart, you must cleanse your heart thoroughly. Only when you purify your heart
will God be pleased to enter it. Krishna said, "Arjuna, up to now you have been
taking me only as the charioteer of your chariot, but you must take me as the
charioteer of your life! The seat on which I am seated in the chariot is clean
and well decorated. Now, think of how clean and grand your heart must be to make
a seat for me there, if I am to install myself as the charioteer of your life."

If you go to a park and decide to sit down on the ground, you put down a mat, or
a newspaper or a large kerchief and sit on that. When you take so much care
about the seat for this body, which, after all, is just temporary and full of
impurities, how much more care should you take when you are inviting God into
the inner sanctum of your heart?

As long as the two qualities rajas and tamas are in your heart, your heart will
remain impure. These two qualities continuously pollute and dirty the heart. As
long as it is dirty, the divinity will not enter your heart; you will not be
able to perceive the divine presence there. Therefore, you must first remove the
quality of density and inertia, the tamas quality, and having done that, you
must remove the rajas quality. Then the satva quality will shine in you, and you
will become a self-assured human being, in touch with your divine source. Start
now by making every effort to remove every bit of dirt that has accumulated in
your heart. There is a small example for this.

Devotion, Wisdom and Detachment Will Keep You Pure

When ladies go out, they frequently take along a little mirror, a comb and a
handkerchief, to make sure that they will present a neat appearance. Why do they
take these three particular items? During the journey, it is quite likely that
their hair will get disturbed. To put their hair back in order they take the
comb. To see if their hair is properly in place, they take the mirror. And to
wipe their face they take the handkerchief. If they leave any one of these
behind, they will not be able to achieve perfection in their appearance. So, a
comb, a mirror and a handkerchief are necessary to help maintain facial
cleanliness and a neat appearance.

In the same way, if you want to correct the disturbed beauty of your heart, you
have to take certain aids for that too. Whether your hair is disturbed or not is
shown to you by the mirror. Whether your heart is disturbed or not is shown to
you by your devotion, which acts as the mirror. This mirror must be pure. When
the mirror is clean, you will be able to see if your heart and mind are pure or
if they have become covered by impurities. When you recognize that your heart is
disturbed, you have to correct it. And for this purpose you need a comb, namely,
the comb of wisdom. Wisdom clarifies the heart and returns it to a state of
order and beauty. Then, just as you have a cloth to clean the dirt that has come
on your face, you have to remove the dirt that has entered your mind with the
cloth of detachment. With the help of detachment you can wipe off all the dirt
that has accumulated in your mind.

Just as ladies take these three things, the mirror, the comb and the
handkerchief, along with them whenever they go out on a journey in the world, so
also, in your journey of life, you have to take devotion, wisdom and detachment
to keep your heart and mind pure.

The Characteristics of Rajas

We have already considered the tamas quality which binds you to your lower
nature. Now, let us examine the characteristics of the rajas quality, which also
locks you into the lower realms of being and keeps you from expressing your true
human potential. A person who is filled with rajas will always be hasty in
everything; he will have no patience or forbearance. He cannot be steady for
even a moment. And he will exhibit a great deal of anger. Not only this, he will
also have unlimited desires. These are all characteristics of the rajas quality.
This becomes clear when you go to watch animals in a zoo. Be it a cheetah, a
tiger or a fox, they will not be quiet and steady for even a moment. The reason
is that they are filled with an excess of rajas.

When rajas enters your heart it makes you unsteady in body and mind; you will be
restless all the while. Not only does it make you unsteady, it also keeps you in
delusion. When you are deluded, you have strong desires for the objects of the
world. As these desires manifest in your heart, you take action to procure these
different things for yourself. In that way, delusion leads to desire, and desire
leads to action. These three, delusion, desire and action are the powerful
qualities which are the characteristic features of rajas.

It is because of rajas that you constantly move about. For example, when you sit
in a particular place, you find you will not be steady for very long; some part
of the body or other will always be moving. This may be compared to the aspen
tree. Even if there is no breeze or wind, the leaves in such a tree will always
be moving. The same applies to a horse. The word for horse in Sanskrit refers to
that which has no steadiness. Whenever you see a horse, whether it be the head,
the tail or the legs, some part of it will always be moving. That is why in
ancient times, a sacrifice called the sacrifice of the horse, was performed as a
symbolic ritual to elicit the help of the gods, in the practice of steadying the
mind.

Remove All Three Qualities And Gain Liberation

The exemplar for the rajas quality is Ravana, the king of the demons. The
exemplar for the the i.tamas quality; is another well-known demon in ancient
lore, who slept for decades at a time. There was still a third demon whose heart
was good and who surrendered himself at the feet of Rama. He is the exemplar for
the satva quality; he chose the side of good, but nevertheless, he was a demon.
All three of these demons; are brothers. If you allow the first two into you
heart, they will lead you into endless harm and grief. If you let the third one
dominate you, he will lead you into activities and ways of living that are good.
But, nevertheless, he will also keep you immersed in delusion and forgetful of
your true divine nature.

If you want to enter the kingdom of liberation, you must remove all three of
these demons from your heart. All three belong to the same demonic family. That
is why the Vedanta has been teaching that you must transcend the three qualities
and offer them to Lord Shiva. He will watch over them with his three eyes and
render them harmless with his three-forked trident.

What is the best way to remove these three qualities? If you are out in the
wilds and a thorn were to enter your foot. You need not take a big sharp knife
to remove it. You just take another thorn and remove the first with the second.
Once that has been accomplished, you throw away both thorns, without making any
distinction between them. In the same way you have to remove the tamas quality
with the help of the rajas quality. Then you have to remove rajas with the help
of satva. Finally, you give up satva also. Before you can enter into the kingdom
of God-realization, you have to cast out all three of these qualities that keep
you bound up in delusion. That is why Krishna directed Arjuna to transcend all
three qualities. He warned Arjuna that he would have to make a maximum effort
and take great care to permanently rid himself of these three qualities.

After having taught Arjuna to recognize these various qualities, Krishna showed
him how to rise beyond them. In that way, Krishna transformed Arjuna into a
truly wise man. The primary cause of these three qualities is the mind. It is
impossible to transcend this human nature and realize your divine nature until
your mind loses its wavering nature and becomes still. Therefore, the best way
to transcend these qualities is to offer your mind to the Lord. After you have
offered your mind to him completely, God will take care of you in all respects.
Here is a small story to illustrate this.

King Janaka's Challenge to Gain Self-Knowledge

Once upon a time, King Janaka sent a message to the people in his realm, saying,
"If there be amongst you a great scholar, a pundit, a mahatma, a yogi, a sage,
whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of the atma." In his
message he said that he expected to attain self-knowledge within a matter of a
few moments of being properly instructed. Even while climbing onto his horse and
before he was completely settled onto it, he should have gained self-
realization. He said, "If the person offering to teach me self-knowledge cannot
assure me this experience of instant illumination, then he will be banished from
my domain even if he is the greatest scholar or the most learned person or the
highest educated person in the land."

Well, all the pundits and sages were a little frightened by this requirement.
They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and
so no one dared to come forth and offer himself to instruct the king and meet
the conditions that had been posed.

It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. While he was
going on the road towards the capital city, he met a number of people coming
from there, including quite a few scholars and pundits. All of them had long
faces, looking worried and grief-stricken. Astavakra asked them what the cause
was for their worry and grief. They explained to him all the things that had
happened. But Astavakra could not understand why they should get frightened over
the king's pronouncement, if they had truly mastered the teachings and realized
their truth. He said, "I will gladly solve this problem for the king." So
saying, he directly entered the court of Janaka.

Astavakra addressed the king, "My dear king, I am ready to teach you the
knowledge of the atma. But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so easily.
This palace is full of rajas and tamas. We must leave here and enter an area
that is pure satva." So they left the palace on horseback and went along the
road leading out of the city towards the forest. As was the custom, whenever the
king went outside the palace walls, the army followed close behind. But, when
they approached the forest, King Janaka directed the soldiers to remain outside,
and not follow them into the forest.

Astavakra and Janaka went deep into the forest. Astavakra told King Janaka, "I
am not going to teach you the knowledge of the atma unless you accept my
conditions. I may be only a young boy, but since I am to teach you, I am in the
position of the preceptor. You may be an all-powerful emperor, but since you are
going to learn from me, you are in the position of the disciple. Are you
prepared to accept this relationship? If you agree then you will have to offer
the traditional gift to the teacher, the gift that is given by the disciple to
the guru. Only after you give me your offering will I start my instruction to
you."

King Janaka told Astavakra, "The attainment of God is the most important thing
to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want. You can have
my crown and the kingdom itself." But Astavakra replied, "I don't want any
material things from you. All I want is your mind. You must give me your mind."
The king answered. "All right, I offer my mind to you. Up to now I thought this
was my mind, but from now on it is yours alone."

Janaka Achieves Self-Realization

Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and leave it by the side, and
then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the path. Astavakra walked
further into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. Outside the forest, the
soldiers waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra showed up,
although it was long after the customary time when the king would have his
repast. Both the officers and the soldiers who loved their king and were very
faithful to him, became anxious to find out what had happened to him. So, one by
one, they stole into the forest to look for King Janaka and the little boy who
was with him, suspecting some foul play.

When they went along the path leading into the forest, they were relieved to
find the king seated there, in the middle of the path. His horse was standing
next to him. The king had his eyes closed and he sat motionless. The boy,
Astavakra, was not to be seen. The officers addressed the king, but he did not
answer. They feared that Astavakra might have exercised some magic spell over
the king and had made him lose consciousness. They went to look for the prime
minister.

The prime minister came and addressed Janaka, "O king! O king! O king!" But
Janaka did not open his eyes. He did not move at all. The prime minister became
very frightened. Not only the prime minister but all the other officials from
the palace who had come, were now getting thoroughly concerned. The king had
always kept to a rigorous schedule. He took his supper at the same time every
day. Now that time had long since passed but the king still had not stirred. In
this way, the day went on and evening came, but the king did not move from his
position, sitting there immobile on the ground.

Left with no alternative, the prime minister sent the chariot back to the city
to bring the queens, thinking that if the queens spoke to the king he would
surely respond. The queens came and addressed the king, "Maharajah! Maharajah!"
The king did not stir; there was absolutely no response from the king. Meanwhile
the soldiers searched throughout the whole forest for Astavakra. At last, they
found him under a tree. Astavakra was immersed in divine ecstasy.

The soldiers called out to him and exhorted him to answer their queries.
Astavakra came out of his self-absorbed blissful state. They implored him to
come to the place where the king was. Astavakra asked them, "Why are you all so
worried? The king is safe and everything is all right." But they insisted that
Astavakra come along with them and brought him before the king seated in the
middle of the path. The king had his eyes closed. His body was completely still.
The soldiers said, "Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the king!"
Until that time, whether the prime minister, or the other ministers, or the
queens, or any of the court officials or soldiers or common people, had called
out and addressed the king, he neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his
eyes in acknowledgment. But now, Astavakra came and spoke to the king. King
Janaka immediately opened his eyes and replied, "Master!"

Astavakra questioned the king, "Well, the ministers have come and the soldiers
have come, and also many others have come. Why did you not reply to their
entreaties?" Janaka answered, "Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with the
mind, and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore, before I can use this
mind for anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to speak to
anyone or use this mind in any way? Without your permission and command, I am
not going to do anything." Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup
and get up on the horse. By the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the
horse and put his other foot in the stirrup, he had attained the direct
experience of the atma. Then Astavakra said to him, "You have attained the state
of God-realization."

For Self-Knowledge Total Surrender of the Mind Is Required

Once a person has offered up his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and
thoughts, then he will not have the authority or the power to perform any
actions without the permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his will.
As was the case with Astavakra and Janaka, so also with Krishna and Arjuna.
Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, offer everything to me. Surrender all your actions
to me. I will take care of you and I will guide you towards liberation and
deliverance." So also, you need to offer all your physical, mental, spiritual
and worldly duties, all your various actions, thoughts and words, to the Lord,
the inner director installed in your heart.

But, you may wonder, if every duty and desire is relinquished and offered to the
Lord, then does that mean that even the desire for liberation has to be given
up? After all, that is also a type of thought. No. The real meaning is that when
you offer up your load of desires and duties and responsibilities to the Lord,
and allow him to make all your decisions, then he will carry all your burdens.
And then you can be one-pointed in the one worthwhile goal of life, that of
self-realization.

All this education that you acquire, all this learning that you pursue, is
associated with the three qualities of delusion. Only when you transcend these
three qualities will you be able to gain self-realization. In celebrating a
marriage, a benediction is given so that the couple might be blessed with a
successful career, with material prosperity, and with a fine family. These are
three of the four primary goals of human life. The first refers to duties and
responsibilities and position, the second refers to the accumulation of wealth
and the third refers to the desire for progeny and the continuation of the
family line. All three of these goals have to do with the worldly life. But
there is a fourth goal of human life. That final and most important goal is
liberation. The fourth goal relates to the spiritual life. The first three of
these goals of human life cannot be considered equal to the fourth, which is
liberation. Offer up all your little acts involving these first three goals.
Give them all to the Lord, and trade them in for the one priceless treasure
which he will give you in return, namely, liberation. Consider the following
example.

In Indian currency, the smallest denomination is a paisa. It is a small metal

coin. One hundred paisa is equal to one rupee. Conversely, 100 rupees is equal
to 10,000 paisa. If you should have to carry these 10,000 paisa around with you,
it would become a very large unwieldy bundle. Also, it would be quite difficult
to hide and protect such a big bag of coins. If you were to heap all of these
10,000 paisa into one small cloth, the cloth would soon get torn and before long
the coins would fall out.

Krishna told Arjuna, "Arjuna, I will give you a hundred rupee note. You give
that whole pile of change that you are carrying, consisting of 10,000 paisa, to
me. This one 100 rupee note and these 10,000 paisa are equal in value, but what
a great difference there is in the burden of carrying them around with you. It
is the same with all these many little duties and worries and thoughts of
various types that burden you. Offer all 10,000 to me; I will give you a single
100 rupee note and relieve you of your load."

All your various thoughts, all your wishes and wants... all these small desires
may be compared to individual paisa. When you have so many small paisa, unless
they are all put together, they will not be equal to a one rupee note. Krishna
said, "Arjuna, all these small desires can never be equal to the grace that I
can shower on you. So give them all to me." This is how King Janaka was able to
attain liberation after he had offered up his entire mind, all his thinking and
doing and speaking, to Astavakra.

Offer Up Your Mind To the Lord

The sum and substance of all this is that you should offer up your mind to the
Lord. In everything you do and think and say, follow his directions, emanating
from the purity of your heart. That is what is meant by becoming mindless. Do
not allow your mind to follow desires. Offer all these desires up to the Lord
and follow only his dictates. Until you have done that, pleasure and pain,
happiness and sorrow and all the other pairs of opposites will be present within
you. If you want to become free of these opposites and treat all things equally,
you have to become mindless. That is why it has been said in the Vedanta that it
is the mind which is responsible for liberation or bondage. As long as you
retain the mind, rajas and tamas will not leave you. So long as you have rajas
and tamas, you will have no steadiness. Why is the mind so unsteady, constantly
hopping from place to place? It is because of desires. These desires all relate
to the body.

Consider for a moment that you have poured a little water into a vessel; when
the vessel moves, the water also moves. If the vessel is steady then the water
remains steady. In steady water you will be able to see your own image. In
moving water your image will be blurred and indistinct. It follows then that if
you want to enter the still state of meditation and have a vision of your true
self, you must keep your body steady. The body is like a vessel; the mind may be
compared to the water inside. If the body moves, it is like the movement of the
vessel. Then the mind inside will also move. Therefore, if you want to keep your
mind steady, you must keep your body steady. Considering how much you move the
body, think of how much more the mind will move.

If you throw a stone into a well, ripples will start. These ripples or waves,
which arise from the stone hitting the water, will soon spread to the far end of
the well. In the same way, once you put a thought into the well of your mind, it
spreads to the entire body. And whatever be your thoughts, they will
subsequently influence your actions. So, you must constantly keep good thoughts,
positive thoughts, in your mind. When you are having good thoughts, there will
also be good feelings in your heart. If negative thoughts enter your mind, then,
in whatever you see, in whatever you hear, in whatever you say and wherever you
go, these negative thoughts will lead to harmful actions and grievous results.

Steady Your Mind and Your Body

When you are sitting, the posture should be erect... not like that of an old
person, all bent over. You should be steady and straight. You should not go to
the other extreme either, of raising your head up; nor should you turn your head
to one side or the other. For meditation, it is very important to have an erect
sitting posture. If you were to imagine a line going vertically down through the
top of your head, it should go straight to the base of your spine, the center of
subtle energy at the bottom of your spine. That way the entire spine will be in
proper alignment. The kundalini power will then be able to travel unimpeded from
the lowest energy vortex to the highest at the crown of your head.

Therefore, keep the body steady and straight. If from youth it is bent, then by
the time you become old you will be completely bent over. Be it your head, your
neck or your torso, there should be no bend. This is extremely important for
students, and equally so for devotees. Therefore, I will be telling you this
quite often.
Why are you studying at all? What is the goal of your studies? Truly, you are
studying in order to steady your mind and body. Except when you are playing, you
should not be moving too much. Even when you are talking or when you are
singing, you should be steady. In this way, right from childhood, if you can
keep your body under control, it will be very useful to you as an instrument to
achieve meditation. Krishna gave these instructions to Arjuna in the Gita, in
order to turn Arjuna into an ideal representative of mankind, one who would
serve as a model for all of humanity. Krishna told him, "Arjuna, I am taking you
as my instrument so that by your example you may teach all of mankind."

Arjuna became an ideal person. Since his wavering mentality was due to the rajas
and tamas qualities, Krishna told Arjuna to systematically rid himself of these
two qualities, and offer them to the Lord. Eventually, he would even have to
give up being controlled by the third quality, the satva quality. In the second
chapter of the Gita, the chapter on the wisdom teachings, Krishna explained a
number of ways in which the three qualities that have been discussed here, can
be conquered. When you have completely expunged them from your mind, you will
become transformed into a sage, a wise being, one who is steeped in the highest
wisdom.

Part Three - Path Of Action

Thirty-First Chapter

DO YOUR DUTY - BUT WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THE RESULTS

Krishna said, "Arjuna, you have work to do. Do it! But give up all interest in
the fruit of your work." Krishna did not say that there would be no fruit. The
fruit will certainly be there. Every action has its consequence or fruit. But
the fruit is not your concern; you should not aspire for it. Therefore, the
essence of Krishna's teaching is that you must do your duty, but do it without
keeping the outcome in mind.

Embodiments of Love,
For every action there is an outcome, and subsequently, this outcome gives rise
to another action. This ongoing cycle of action and result, result and action,
manifests itself in a way similar to the cycle of the seed and the tree. The
seed and tree also follow one after the other, with the seed giving rise to the
tree and the tree giving rise to the seed. Without a seed you cannot have a tree
and without a tree you cannot have a seed. The same thing is true for an action
and its result. These are natural cycles in the world. When this is so, with one
always following the other, why should you take a special interest in the
outcome? Your duty and responsibility is to perform the right action; have no
concern about the result. Krishna told Arjuna, "In this battle, you should be
indifferent to what happens to your own people or what befalls you. Do your duty
without letting your mind dwell on the outcome."

The Shield of Devotion and the Armor of Wisdom

In battle, warriors wear shield and armor. This gives them some protection
against the powerful weapons that are shot at them by their enemies. In the
spiritual battle which you must fight, you must also wear a type of shield and
armor. Here the shield is devotion and love for God, and the armor is wisdom. In
an ordinary war relating to the world, the fighting may last only a few days, or
it may drag on for a few months or even some years. But the spiritual battle
goes on continuously; it never ends. It has been fought by mankind unceasingly,
right from ancient days. Since time immemorial there has been the fight between
good and bad, between virtue and sin, between attachment and detachment.

Humanity has been waging an endless war with its feelings of I-ness and my-ness,
with its feelings of hatred and jealousy and other evil qualities that have
taken shelter within it. Egoism and attachment, in particular, have
extraordinary strength. They are really dreadful. Compared to them, you, the
individual who is fighting them, are not so strong. You are really quite weak.
In fact, you have become so dominated by these negative qualities that, like
Arjuna, you have identified yourself with them. Now, to fight such powerful
enemies and qualities, you have to follow the directions of the indwelling Lord
and you have to wear a very strong shield and armor. The mighty shield and armor
that you have to wear in this spiritual battle are devotion and wisdom. They
will protect you from such formidable enemies.

When you have a parasol to shade you, you are not troubled by the hot sun. When
you wear sandals or shoes, you are not concerned about stepping on a thorn. When
you wear a shield and armor, you are not too much bothered by the weapons being
hurled against you. "Therefore, Arjuna," Krishna said, "in this inner battle you
must don your spiritual shield and armor." When Krishna lifted Arjuna out of his
despondency at the beginning of the Gita, he gave Arjuna the armor of wisdom.
That was the first teaching that Krishna offered.

Use Wisdom to Conquer Your Inner Enemies

Krishna said to Arjuna, "All these attachments that you now have, all these
desires to possess things, are not tendencies that you acquired yesterday or the
day before. They have been with you for numerous births and they are responsible
for all the pain that you are experiencing. You have no way of knowing when you
will finally be able to rid yourself of the pain they have caused. But you
cannot do much about the past, so do not worry about it. Focus, instead, on the
means for eliminating the pain that would come to you in the future, were these
attachments and desires to continue ruling over you.

"In the battle that you are about to fight, you have provided yourself with
worldly armor. That will help protect your body from external enemies; but how
will you be able to protect yourself from the internal enemies which you are
battling inside you? To protect yourself from them, you have to wear the armor
of wisdom. You are concerned about your external enemies, but you are not
thinking about the inner enemies at all. If you succumb to your inner enemies
you will never be able to conquer your external enemies. Therefore, first
conquer these inner enemies."

It is natural to search for a doctor when you are sick and suffering, but it is
of greater importance to see to it that you do not contract any illness in the
first place. It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
From earliest times, the inner enemies have been subduing mankind and filling
human beings with sorrow. As long as you are filled with egoism and attachment,
you will not be able to free yourself from grief and sorrow. You have been
engaged in wrongful actions, and these have been responsible for all your pain.
Does this mean that you should abstain from action? No. You have no choice but
to act. You must act, and you are free to enjoy your actions as well. But from
now on, you must perform all your actions properly, in a way which will not
accrue harmful consequences and pain to you in the future. In keeping with this,
it is very important that you understand the underlying principles of right
action.

Every Worldly Experience Can Be Traced to Karma

Action is called karma. You are born in karma, you develop in karma and you die
in karma. It is karma, or the actions you perform, which are responsible for all
good or bad, sin or virtue, profit or loss, joy or sorrow. Truly, karma is
responsible for your very birth itself. Karma is really the creator for mankind.
It shapes your life. It follows then that you should not look upon action with
carelessness. Your entire life is associated with action. Therefore, recognize
the importance of right action and engage in that, unwaveringly.

Do not think that action is just a small thing. It may start as a small sapling
but it will grow into a very big tree. Before a seed can become a tree, it has
to break out of the soil in which it was sown. Then, once it has become a big
tree, it will offer you its fruit. Whether this fruit brings you joy or sorrow
depends on the seed that you have sown. To get the very finest fruit, the seed
of action which you have performed must be of the highest quality and it must
break out of the soil of egoism. Then this action can be transformed into yoga.
Yoga is union with God.

Egoism Develops When You Forget the Indweller

What is the root cause of egoism? Why should you ever feel egoistic? Egoism
arises because of the ignorance which is inherent in you. You have to think out
for yourself what is the birthplace of this egoism, where did it come from and
where will it end? Consider these facts of the physical universe: Light travels
at the rate of 670 million miles per hour. At this rate, light travels a
trillion miles per year. We consider the sun to be very near; the distance
between the earth and the sun is approximately 90 million miles. For us, the
splendor of the light coming from the sun is exceptionally bright. But this is
the light from only one sun. There are billions of suns and stars. The distance
to the nearest of these is almost 4 light years, or something like 23 to 24
trillion miles.

The stars look as though they are very close to one another, but the distance
between any two stars is tens of trillions of miles. They look as though milk
has been spread all over the sky. The stars that you can see with a high-powered
telescope number in the billions. And there are many, many more objects in the
heavens which you cannot see. What is the size of the earth in the context of
such a vast universe, where there are billions upon billions of stars, spread
over distances of trillions upon trillions of miles? And what is the place of
this little planet earth in relation to the huge sun, which, nevertheless, is
only a minor star among the countless stars that speckle the heavens?

On this earth, what is the size of the country in which you are a citizen? What
is the size of the state you are living in? Within it how small is this district
that you are now in? And how much smaller is the little town that you call home?
And then, how very much smaller still are you on this tiny plot of land that you
occupy within it? If such is the scale of the universe and such is your size in
it, why are you so puffed up with egoistic feelings? If you were to take true
cognizance of the vastness of the world, you would not have any egoism. Only
when you are oblivious of the greatness of the universe in relation to your
minute size can you ever be filled with such a foolish notion.

Perhaps you are proud of your own body. But the body consists of only the five
elements. One day or another it will perish. Only the indweller is permanent. It
does not have birth or death, it does not grow or decay. It shines everywhere.
In the whole world it is the one permanent entity shining as the effulgent one,
in a sea of changing forms. It is behind every form, it is the splendor
animating every feature in the vast universe. Even in utter darkness it is
there, for it is that which reveals the darkness to you. This all-pervading
splendor is the indweller, the eternal flame ever shining inside this inert
body. Look to this indweller, turn towards it, and you will not be deluded by
pride and egoism.

The Body Is An Inert Thing Made Of The Five Elements

Take shelter in the indwelling Lord. Do not keep looking towards the body and
feeling proud. The body is subject to so many diseases; it undergoes many
changes. It is barely able to journey on this ocean of worldly existence and
survive. The body is only an inert thing; it is nothing more than seven buckets
of water, the iron from four 2-inch nails, the phosphorous from 1,100 match
sticks, the carbon contained in four pencils and two pieces of soap. When you
put all these things together with a few other assorted substances, it becomes a
body. So, the body just consists of this inert matter. But it is able to move
and exhibit life because there is an indweller inside.

Consider the wall clock that is hanging there. It has three hands: a second
hand, a minute hand and an hour hand. As soon as you wind the clock, all three
hands start moving at their own prescribed rate. How long will they keep moving
thus? They keep moving as long as there is power in the spring to energize them.
The moment that power is exhausted, they stop wherever they are. Your body may
be compared to a clock. The breath may be compared to the spring. Your actions
may be compared to the second hand; your feelings may be compared to the minute
hand; and your joy may be compared to the hour hand. It is the divine energy
within which empowers and vitalizes all this.

In the context of this example of the clock, you can answer the question as to
why you perform actions at all. You see that the second hand, which represents
your actions, moves quite fast and soon covers one whole revolution of 60
seconds. At that point, the minute hand, which represents your feelings, will
have advanced one sixtieth of a revolution. It is only when the second hand has
made sixty full revolutions of sixty seconds each, and the minute hand has gone
once around, that the hour hand, which represents an experience of divine joy
and bliss, will move one division. The hour hand moves so slowly that you cannot
even detect its movement, although you can see the movement of the minute and
second hands.

There is an inner secret here. Once every hour all three hands meet. When the
action which is associated with the body and nature, when the feeling which is
associated with the inner man, and when the unending joy which is associated
with the divinity all come together, then you have the meeting of nature, man
and God.

From Sacred Action to Devotional Feelings to Bliss

Nature has been described as the field of action; it gives you the opportunity
to sanctify your work and reach your goal. When you perform 60 good actions, one
good feeling will emerge. Therefore, to get the one good feeling you have to
perform so many good actions. And it is only when you have sixty such good
feelings that there will be one small movement of the hour hand, which
represents the ineffable experience of divine joy. Therefore, Krishna told
Arjuna to perform good actions. When you do innumerable good actions, you are
likely to get one or two deeply-satisfying and lasting good feelings. And it is
only when you develop innumerable such good feelings that you will be able to
reach the bliss that is the eternal state of the atma. Therefore, you must start
by performing many good actions.

The body has been given to you for this specific purpose of performing actions.
It is impossible to spend even a moment without being active. That is why the
performance of sacred activities, which includes ceremonial and ritual worship,
has been given so much importance in the Vedas, the holy scriptures of India.
But sacred actions do not just refer to performing sacrifices, doing penance and
giving charity, each of which gives rise to an anticipated result. There are
many actions that you can undertake from which you would not expect any fruit,
at all. Such actions, which are performed without any concern for the fruit, can
be termed karma yoga.

When an action is performed without desire and without any feeling of egoism,
then it is karma yoga. That is the highest form of action, the most sacred of
all, and it's one you should follow in every move you make in life. Remove your
egoism. Drive it away. Remove your desire for the fruit. When you perform action
with this attitude, it becomes work in the spirit of true sacrifice, it becomes
penance and it becomes yoga. All three of these, sacrifice, penance and yoga
convey the same idea. Every action you perform should be sanctified in this way.
Even inhaling and exhaling are actions; they are also karma. Without performing
karma, man cannot live for even a moment in the world. But karma associated with
ego will always be narrow and harmful.

Food Gives Rise to Thoughts, Feelings and Actions

Therefore, perform all actions with only the feeling of sacrifice in your heart,
not with a self-serving feeling of egoism. The results will be good or bad,
beneficial or harmful depending on the type of actions you perform. The actions
themselves depend upon the feelings of selflessness or selfishness you have. The
feelings, in turn, depend on the thoughts you harbor. And the thoughts depend on
the food that you consume. Therefore, you have the sequence of food leading to
thoughts, thoughts leading to feelings, feelings leading to actions, and actions
leading to results. These results, in turn, lead to more feelings, ones of pain
or joy, depending on the nature of the actions, feelings, thoughts and food.
From this you see the great importance of always taking in very pure and
wholesome food.

Assume that a sage performing a vedic ritual makes a small fire, as is

prescribed by the scriptures. The smoke pouring forth will depend on the type of
fire that was made. A cloud will form as a result of the smoke that has risen
up. Water vapor condenses due to the cloud and there are droplets of rain. The
crop below depends on the rain, and so the food that is consumed depends upon
the crop. Finally, the physical body, being the same as food, depends on the
food that is taken in. Therefore, even food can be traced back to the type of
actions, in this case, to the fire that had been built and the sacrifice that
had been performed.

Focus On The Action, Not On The Fruit

If your actions are good, then your birth will be good. Your actions are the
original cause, your birth is the final result. In this context, Krishna said,
"Keep all your attention on performing good deeds; do not pay any attention to
the fruit." The fruit will follow by itself, but your focus should be on the
action.

In the past, you have been associated with a number of good or bad actions and
as a result, you are now enjoying or suffering their consequence in the form of
joy or sorrow. How do you get rid of the sorrow that is the result of your past
bad actions? It is only by engaging in good actions that you can remove this
sorrow. That is the reason why action has been given primary importance in the
Vedas. Bad actions must be replaced by good actions, which then lead to totally
selfless actions, where there is no personal interest in the fruit. This, then,
becomes karma yoga and brings you into union with divinity.
If you are careless with your actions, or if you waste your actions, your whole
life becomes a waste. Life has been given to you so that you engage yourself in
good karma and ideal activities. Karma does not mean just performing actions
with the body. Karma is the very name of the body itself. Since the body has
come as the result of actions performed previously, one of the meanings of karma
is body.

Body is the consequence of actions; it is associated with time, circumstance and

causation. But this applies only to the waking state. In the dream state, the
body is inactive, so there cannot be any action at all; there will only be the
illusion of action, or maya. In dreams, all the senses will be still. In the
state of deep-sleep, which has been called the causal state, there will not even
be any mind. Beyond this state is the ultimate source, that which is called the
great cause, the original cause. It transcends the causal state. This original
cause is the divinity. Here is a small example to illustrate these states.

Those of you who are students walk here from the hostel, which is about one
kilometer away. At 4:15 in the afternoon, you leave the hostel and by 4:30 you
reach the gates of the ashram. So, it takes you about 15 minutes to move your
body from the hostel to this complex. Your purpose for coming here is to hear
Baba's lecture. In every action you undertake, there will be these same four
factors, a time, an activity, a cause or purpose and a result. The time, as you
have seen, was 15 minutes. The activity was to walk from the hostel to the
prayer hall. The reason was to listen to the lecture. The result is that you
will be sanctifying your life thereby. In this way, the waking state can be used
for one's spiritual advancement.

Time, Action, Purpose and Result Apply Only to the Body

Now consider further, that after this discourse is over you return to the
hostel. After you have had your dinner, you relax on your bed and go off to
sleep. You have a dream. In the dream you find yourself wandering on a boulevard
in Paris. When did you leave the hostel to travel to Paris, and how long did it
take you to get there? That question cannot be answered. There is no specific
time involved here. How did you travel there? Was it by ship or by plane? That
also cannot be answered. There is no specific activity involved in getting
there. Why did you go to Paris? You do not know; there is no apparent reason for
being there. What is it that you have enjoyed there? What is the result of your
going? Even that you cannot answer. There is no specific result accruing from
your action that can be discerned there. So, in the dream state, there is
neither time, action, purpose, nor enjoyment of the results; none of these are
there.

Now, assume that soon after you fell asleep, some one came and woke you up. You
got up and realized that you had been asleep for only five minutes. During the
course of those five minutes you had your dream and you went to Paris. How is
that possible? It is not possible. It was only a mental experience. You have not
performed this action, either with your body or with your senses. That mental
experience is associated with your subtle form. But it is the gross body which
has these four factors of time, action, causation and circumstance. You have
seen that none of these occur in the subtle or mental experience associated with
the dream state. Only because of the tricks of the mind have you been able to
create a new world there.

The mind created so many people on that busy boulevard in Paris, so much
traffic, so many objects. The mind has this exceptional power. It has an
extraordinary capacity to create anything, or destroy anything, not only in
dream, but also in the waking state. For all your actions, it is the thoughts in
your mind which are responsible. When you offer such a powerful mind to the
Lord, then not only the mind but all your actions, everything you do, will have
been offered to him. When you use your mind to think of the Lord, all your
actions become sacred.

Turn Desire Towards Wisdom To Gain The Divine Light

A great sage used to say, "If you sing hymns of praise to the Lord and offer a
light to him, then the entire world will shine with the effulgence of that
light." In your worship you take a flaming lamp, and offer the light to the
Lord. Your mind, which is made up of many desires, can be likened to the oil,
the wick can be likened to the sacred wisdom you have gathered. When you join
these two together, using your wisdom to turn your desires to God, then you get
the effulgence of divine light blazing forth from their union.

For this oil and wick there must be some holder. The body can be thought of as
the container which holds this oil of desires and the wick of wisdom. The
blissful joy that you feel is the effulgence of the light coming from this
sacred lamp. If there is only a wick and you try to light it, it will not burn.
Or, if you want to light the oil itself, you will not be able to do it. But when
the wick is associated with the oil, then it will be able to burn, and you will
have light.

Another way of seeing this oil and the wick, is to think of action or work,
which is associated with the mind and its desires, as the oil. The buddhi, or
the intuitive intellect, which is associated with wisdom, can be thought of as
the wick. When you combine these two, namely, action and buddhi, in other words,
when you make all your actions sacred, following the dictates of your highest
inner motivator, then the light will shine forth. This light is the eternal
light of the atma. When all your actions become sacred, you will come into
awareness of your eternal truth, you will be basked in the light of the one
immortal self.

Now, the flame in the lamp has a number of individual characteristics. When
there is a breeze, the flame will flicker. When water comes on it, it will
sputter, making some sound. If there are impurities in the oil, it will give
forth smoke. It also gives off heat; if you touch it, it will burn you. And,
depending on the type of oil and the flow of air there will be different colors
to the light emerging from the flame. These various characteristics belong to
the flame, but they are not associated with the radiance that emerges from the
light of that flame.

There is only one characteristic to that radiance; that is, it envelops all it
touches in the splendor of its effulgence. The flame has a number of different
attributes, but the effulgence of the atma has only the one attribute of
illuminating and removing darkness. That immortal inner light of the atma is
given equally to all people. That is its one all-encompassing quality. But, for
the flame of life, there will be many individual characteristics. Many changes
and problems will come into it.

The Three Types Of Actions

There are three types of activities emerging from different aspects of this
flame of life. There are the ordinary actions which lead to ordinary results,
which in turn, lead to more actions in an endless cycle. This is like a flame
that burns steadily one moment and sputters the next, or burns in various hues
and at various temperatures.
Then there are the good actions, those which always bring good results. These
good actions are like an unchanging flame which is ever steady. This second type
of activity applies to performing your worldly duties in a righteous manner,
being active in good causes, engaging in devotional practices, etc. These are
all good actions but along with them, there will still be a clear interest in
the results. The Vedas have declared that even the best and most beneficial
actions performed with interest in the results can only take you as far as
heaven. You should not be under the impression that heaven endows you with
immortality; when the merits of the actions have been consumed, you have to come
back down to earth. So, this second type of action, also perpetuates the cycle
of birth and death.

Lastly, there are actions which are not related to the attributes of the flame.
This third type of activity is associated with the pure radiance, the effulgence
of the atmic light. For such actions, interest in the fruit is not relevant, at
all. Such actions emerge out of your inner nature, your deepest truth, which is
divine. You perform all your actions as an offering to the divinity, knowing
that the one divinity is in everyone. Such sacred acts can be called yoga, for
then you are engaged in karma yoga. This is purity in action where there is no
attachment to the outcome.

Realize that when you are interested in the fruits, they soon become exhausted,
and new actions have to be undertaken again and again, in an endless cycle.
Take, for example, a member of the legislative assembly who runs for election.
If he achieves victory in the election, he can go to the assembly for five
years. As time passes, his term of office runs out and at the end of five years
he has to return home. Similarly, all the merits which you earn through your
activities may be compared to this kind of limited term which lasts for a number
of years. At the end of the period you have to come back into birth again.

As long as your merits last you enjoy heaven, but as soon as they get exhausted
you must again descend into birth. Therefore, while describing the doctrine of
karma to Arjuna, Krishna said, "Instead of aspiring for the temporary result of
an action, which keeps you bound to the cycle of birth and death, aspire to
realize the supreme divinity which is your own true self. When you know that the
one divinity is the immortal self of all and act from that knowledge, then your
actions are aligned with the divine will and they will be sacred. Then you will
never have to come back into birth again. But, if instead, your actions are
motivated by the results, which, in turn, leads you into to life after life and
you are perpetually coming and going, then how will you ever be able to reach
your permanent goal?" There is a small story to illustrate this.

Aspire For the Supreme And Never Come Back

An inveterate thief was caught in the act of stealing and was put into prison.
It was decreed in court that he be imprisoned for six months. The six month
period soon passed and the day arrived when he was to be released. The jailer
came and told the thief, "Well, by tomorrow evening your term will be completed
and you will have served your punishment. You can make your preparations to go.
Collect all the personal possessions that we are holding for you, and be ready
to leave." The thief was not overly happy to hear this, but he was not unhappy
either. He was just indifferent, for he knew what was to happen. "Let the
articles remain here," he said.

The jailer asked him, "Why, don't you want to take these things with you?" The
thief replied, "There is no point in taking them with me. In a day or two I will
be back. Soon enough, you will see me again in this same jail. Since it will be
just a few days, why should I bother with them?" So, this thief knew that he was
going to indulge in stealing again, that he would be caught and punished again
and, undoubtedly, he would land right back in this same prison.

In the same way, your actions may be compared to this coming and going of the
thief. You perform actions in your life here on earth. In time, you are
motivated to make all your actions good actions and they produce good results.
Afterwards you go to heaven. When your term there has expired you come back
again to earth. Krishna said, "This process of going up and coming down is not
good." At this point, Krishna gave Arjuna the sacred teachings. He directed
Arjuna to seek out the place of eternal truth and abide there. Once you are
established in that permanent place, abiding in your immortal self, actions can
no longer bind you. Then there will be no need to ever come back again, for you
will be established in the permanent bliss of the atma. Compared with this
exalted state, earthly and heavenly joys are like mere atoms in the infinite
universe.

Thirty-Second Chapter

THE YOGA OF ACTION - RELINQUISHING THE FRUIT

Krishna told Arjuna repeatedly, "Arjuna! Do your duty. Engage yourself in

rightful action. But do not aspire for the fruit of your action." Krishna's
intent was to turn all of Arjuna's actions into sacred actions, into karma yoga,
and thereby help him to reach his spiritual goal.

Embodiments of Love,
In the world, all actions are performed for the sake of the rewards, or what can
be called the fruits. If there were no fruits resulting from their actions, if
they were not compensated or paid in some form or other, the great majority of
human beings would not undertake any work at all. What is Krishna's objection to
Arjuna aspiring for the fruit of his labor? When almost everyone performs
actions for the sake of the reward, what is the deeper meaning in Krishna
directing Arjuna to perform all his actions without expecting any reward?
Krishna's sole interest was to see to it that all of Arjuna's actions be
transformed into yoga, in other words, that Arjuna's will be aligned with the
divine will. This would happen when Arjuna surrendered himself fully to the
divinity, offered all his actions to the divine and gave up all his attachments
to the results. Then his karma became karma yoga.

Transform All Your Actions Into Sacred Actions And Be Free

As long as you act with body-consciousness, that is, as long as you identify
yourself as the doer of an action, then that action cannot be karma yoga. Any
action performed with the feeling of ego, the sense that I did it, or with the
sense of attachment, that it is my act, can only bring sorrow to you in the end.
Such actions will always result in further bondage. However, when you transform
your actions into yoga, then you become free from bondage. How does action or
karma become yoga? All actions performed as offerings to the divinity, without
any sense of individual doership and without seeking any personal results, will
be transformed into yoga.

Numerous troubles arise when one acts with a feeling of egoism. Inwardly, you
might feel, 'This action was performed by me, so I should derive the benefits
from this action. I worked, so I deserve to get paid. I am certainly entitled to
the rewards accruing from these actions that I have performed.' Such feelings
serve only to further strengthen the sense of ego, the sense of I and mine. As
this sense of I and mine goes on increasing, the atma goes further and further
into obscurity, and the joy emerging from the atma goes on decreasing. To
destroy egoism completely, Krishna asked Arjuna to transform all his actions
into yoga.

What is the method of transforming your action into yoga? You must become
impersonal; you must not identify yourself with the actions or the results that
accrue from them, but, instead, concentrate fully on the action itself,
remaining indifferent to the results. In other words, you act because it is your
nature to do so, offering all your efforts to the indwelling divinity, and
remaining totally unconcerned and disinterested in the fruit. With such a
feeling of detachment, whatever task you become engaged in will become sacred.
There is the example of King Janaka, who showed by his life that if you perform
actions without any desire for the fruit and without any personal interest in
the act, then your accomplishments can indeed become very great. While ruling a
kingdom, and bearing all the responsibilities associated with it, King Janaka
performed all his acts with the attitude that he was only the witness. Because
he acted without any attachment to the results, Janaka became a sacred king, a
monarch who was also a yogi.

Turn Actions Into Yoga

Every action that is offered to the Lord and is performed without any personal
interest becomes a holy sacrifice and can be considered as yoga. But when an
action is performed with a personal interest in the action and its results, then
it is nothing but roga, which in Sanskrit means disease. The root cause of all
such disease is attachment. From attachment follows hatred and anger. These are
the demons that will hide all your human qualities.

It is the same for everyone; once attachment and hatred begin to show themselves
in you, they encourage all the demonic tendencies and you forget your true human
nature. Therefore, Krishna commanded Arjuna, "Perform your actions free from all
attachments. Be impersonal. When you perform actions without having any personal
interest, the fruit of these actions will not touch you. That is how I rule over
all the three worlds. Can you not rule over even one little body that way?
"Develop the firm faith that when you remain disinterested in the rewards you
will be able to achieve many great tasks. But when you have attachment to the
results of a task, you will be subject to disappointment. If you get the fruits
you expected, you will be overjoyed. If you do not succeed, you will be worried.
Try to control this sense of dejection and elation. Become truly wise. Do not
allow yourself to be subjected to these wavering feelings of elation and
dejection."

There is no human being who is not engaged in actions. Every person has a human
body for the express purpose of performing actions. To sanctify the body, you
have to perform only good actions. For every action there will be a fruit. You
should realize that the joy which you get in performing an action is much
greater than the joy you get from the fruit of the action.

For example, on an auspicious religious festival, a family may choose to be

together throughout the night with other devotees, relatives and friends to sing
devotional songs. As long as they are engaged in their practice and involved in
their ceremonies they are unaware of any feeling of fatigue. Even if some of
them were suffering from fever they would not mind; they would be completely
absorbed in the function. During that period, when they are immersed in their
practice, no one feels tired. But when you visit this family soon after the
function is over, you find them all looking rather weary.

The Joy of Doing Is Greater Than the Joy of the Rewards

You get joy while performing an action, but you do not experience joy to the
same extent after the action is completed. You are simply deluded by the feeling
that there is some joy in the fruit of the action. But, truly speaking, there is
no joy whatsoever in the fruit. The joy which you believe you get from the fruit
is only a reflection; it is a shadow of the real joy. It is just a phantom joy.
It is not the permanent joy that you are seeking. When the actions themselves
are temporary and transient, how can the fruits derived from them be anything
more than fleeting shadows?

Perhaps you feel that by performing acts of charity or by doing good, involving
yourself in good causes, participating in auspicious events or by engaging in
various acts of personal sacrifice, you will earn heavenly rewards. However,
Krishna declared that heaven is only temporary. He said, "Arjuna, there is
something which is far greater than heaven. Of course, you should always do
good. I am not saying that you should stop performing good deeds, sacrifices,
austerities, religious rituals and the like. It is not only your right but your
duty to continue with such good actions; but, do everything you do with only the
welfare of the whole world in mind. Do not act with any selfish motive. Perform
every action selflessly, disinterestedly, concerned only with the peace, welfare
and prosperity of all living beings, everywhere.

"Do not be concerned with reaching heaven. Set your sight on a much higher goal,
beyond heaven. Heaven will last only as long as the merits of your actions last.
Once these merits are exhausted, you will have to come back to earth. Therefore,
give up your longing for heaven, which is temporary and impermanent. Cultivate
nearness and dearness to the Lord. Become merged in him; that is what is truly
important. The principle of divinity is greater than heaven. When you understand
the secret of action and perform all your actions from the proper perspective,
you will be able to acquire the divinity itself."

The Gita Brings the Highest Wisdom Into Daily Life

The Gita has not asked you to renounce all worldly activities and become a
sanyasin, a wandering mendicant. Some people are under the impression that the
Gita should not be taught to children, for the youngsters might get a notion to
renounce the world and go to the forest. Many people suffer from such wrong
impressions. But consider the great number of people who have been teaching the
Gita. Are they all sanyasins? Have they renounced all the things of the world?
Did Arjuna, who heard the Gita directly from Krishna, become a sanyasin?
The inner significance of the Gita has to be understood in the context of human
nature as it is expressed in the world, in the everyday activities of people.

The most important objective of the Gita is to bring down the priceless, ancient
wisdom to the level of the mundane world and to raise worldly life to the level
of the highest wisdom. The Gita brings down Vedanta into daily life and elevates
daily life to the level of Vedanta; it not only introduces philosophy and
spirituality into daily life, but it also introduces daily life into philosophy
and spirituality. Hence, it reconciles spirituality and daily life.

Human existence does not just involve the daily, secular activities; it is not
meant at all for just eking out a livelihood. The Gita teaches the sanctity of
human life; it directs man to his ultimate goal. It teaches him how to make his
livelihood in the world, in a way that enables him to transcend the human
condition, and in a way that does not bind him to further human births. You will
not be bound by your actions when they are performed selflessly, without any
interest in the fruits. The Gita teaches you to develop nonattachment to all
your activities, duties and possessions. What actually happens by having this
attitude of detachment is that your actions become sacred. The Gita does not
encourage you to renounce work; on the contrary, it encourages you to do your
duty and perform all the activities appropriate to your status in life. But you
must transform all these actions into sacred works by offering them to the Lord.

For example, consider the work of a cook. Cooks perform their duties properly
and do their job well when they keep their mind on the cooking. If instead, they
do everything keeping only the wages in view, then they will not have much
interest in their work and the cooking will not be good. Cooking should be
performed with a sense of love and absorption in the work and with the welfare
of all in mind, without concern for the monetary rewards. Then it becomes a
sacred and pure service that nourishes and sanctifies.

In the same way, when you perform your assigned duties, whatever they are, with
full concentration on the work, offering it to the divinity, and without any
personal interest in the fruit, then your actions become sacred and grand. With
this feeling of disinterestedness in the fruits, your work becomes steady and
you will also progress steadily forward towards your goal. But when you have a
personal interest in the work that you are performing, there will be ups and
downs, fickleness will develop and your desires will quickly grow.

Krishna held out King Janaka as an ideal person because he ruled his kingdom
with this sense of detachment, and thereby attained perfection. There are some
people who have only outward vision. There are others who have developed inward
vision. Outward vision sees only the illusory world outside. Inward vision
transforms the mind and fills the heart with sacred feelings. In order to gain
inner vision, you have to develop this quality of absorption in the work and
detachment from the results, offering everything you do to the divinity within.
There is a story to illustrate the great spiritual power of this lofty practice.

Janaka and Suka

Once, in the age previous to Krishna and Arjuna's, the young sage Suka, had
entered King Janaka's kingdom and was traveling in the neighborhood of the
capital city. King Janaka heard that Suka was in the vicinity, but did not know
where Suka chose to make his camp. The king sent out messengers in all
directions, to get news of Suka's whereabouts. They located Suka living in a
shelter in a forest, near the capital city. Janaka, along with his ministers,
went to visit Suka. Janaka did not go there as a king or ruler. He went as a
servant of the Lord. Janaka had long ago removed all traces of ego and now went
as a humble spiritual seeker. Suka was giving a discourse to his disciples on a
spiritual topic.

During this discourse, Janaka stood and listened with full concentration.
Evening came. Before he left, Janaka went to Suka and asked, "Swami, may I come
every day and experience your inspiring discourses?" Suka replied, "Janaka,
spirituality and philosophy are not anyone's private property. Whoever has the
interest, whoever enjoys listening to these teachings, whoever believes in
reaching the goal, has a right to this knowledge. Certainly you may come. You
are most welcome." Janaka went back to his palace and returned each day to
attend the discourses.

Now, Suka wanted to demonstrate to the world that King Janaka had inward vision,
whereas most people have only outward vision. With this in mind, he moved to a
spot on the crest of a hill overlooking the capital city, and made his camp
there. From this place, he continued his daily discourses on Vedanta. One
particular day, King Janaka, because of some urgent responsibilities of
administration, was delayed in coming there. Suka purposely held up starting his
discourse until Janaka had arrived.
Suka took no cognizance of the large gathering of people that were already
assembled there, waiting for the discourse to commence. To demonstrate his
interest, Suka started asking questions of this person and that, trying to find
out why King Janaka had not come. He also told some people to go and find out
what had delayed the king. He himself stood on the roadside and watched for the
royal party to arrive.

At this, some murmur began among the people there. The disciples, the elders and
youngsters who had assembled there, began whispering among themselves. One said,
"Look at Suka. He is considered to be such a great sage who has renounced
everything; but it does not seem to be true. Here he is waiting for King Janaka.
Just because Janaka is an important ruler, Suka is not paying any attention to
us and does not seem to care about starting the discourse."

Another person said, "Look at this peculiar behavior of Suka. Why does he show
so much partiality to kings? For a sage, should there be any difference in his
feelings for a king and for others?" Now, Suka noted all this talk that was
going on. In fact, it was with the intention of teaching them a good lesson that
he had conducted himself this way. Half an hour passed. An hour passed. Two
hours passed. Suka continued to wait for Janaka to come; he did not make any
attempt to start his discourse.

The Venom Must Come Out Before Teachings Can Go In

Meanwhile, those people whose hearts were a little polluted, gave expression to
their feelings of jealousy and anger. All those impure feelings which were
inherent in them, but had been hidden inside, now started coming out. That is
just what Suka wanted, for only after the venom that was in their hearts had
come out could the teachings of the Vedanta enter there. If there is nothing
inside one's head, then it can be filled with sacred teachings. But if one's
head is already filled with all sorts of impure stuff, how can it take anything
pure and sacred in?

Without emptying the head of all the useless dross, sacred teachings will never
take hold there. So, Suka's wish was that all these baser feelings should
manifest themselves and be expressed. He wanted his students to pour out all the
dirt and filth which was inside their minds. He knew that as long as their
hearts harbored attachments and bad feelings, his teachings would not take hold.
So he had them undergo this process of purification.

Meanwhile, with a great deal of anxiety, Janaka rushed to attend the discourse.
Suka noted the approach of Janaka. He could be seen coming from a long way off
because Janaka did not usually come alone. Although Janaka was not interested in
bringing ministers and servants, they would invariably accompany him to provide
security and protection to the king. Soon all the people became aware that King
Janaka was approaching. Entering the area where the discourse was given, Janaka
prostrated himself before the guru and humbly asked his pardon for coming late.
Then Janaka spread his grass mat and sat down.

Immediately Suka commenced his discourse. Now, in the hearts of the young
disciples who had assembled there, hatred fructified. Their faces began changing
because of their feelings towards Suka and King Janaka. 'Look at this Suka!',
they thought to themselves. 'He only cares about pleasing the king. That is the
extent of his Vedanta.'

The Fire That Brought Out the Attachments of the Disciples

Suka decided to teach a lesson to all the people assembled there who were
harboring such negative feelings. After some time, he interrupted his discourse
suddenly and said, "Janaka, look at your kingdom. It is on fire!" King Janaka,
who had closed his eyes and was totally absorbed in listening to the sacred
teachings, took no notice of these words. He had fixed his mind on the Vedanta,
and so he kept his concentration only on the Vedanta.

The other people who had assembled there saw the flames and smoke rising above
the city. Some of the disciples, thinking of their relatives and belongings,
began running towards the capital city, in the plain below. All the attachments
which had lain hidden deep in their hearts now came to the surface and fully
exposed themselves.

A few moments later, Suka told King Janaka, "Janaka, this fire has now spread to
your palace." Even then, Janaka did not take any notice of Suka's statement;
Janaka did not move from his seat. He had the true feeling of complete
detachment and indifference to all things worldly. His interest was only in the
atma. Except for this absorption in the atma he had no other feelings.

Among those in attendance at the discourse were a number of celebrated spiritual

teachers having worldwide reputations. Suka wanted to demonstrate to them that
they might be very great scholars but they had not killed their attachments.
When these scholars saw the flames, they were apprehensive; they turned to King
Janaka and began praying, "O, King! O, King! Please do something about this
terrible catastrophe happening below!" But Janaka had entered into a state of
samadhi; he was enjoying the bliss of the atma.

Tears of joy were coursing down Janaka's cheek. He did not waver for even a
moment from the holy thoughts on which he had fixed his concentration. Suka
observed Janaka's state and was very pleased. After some time, those disciples
who had run away towards the capital returned, reporting that, in fact, there
had been no fire at all. Then Suka began to explain to the disciples the meaning
of all that had gone on.

Suka said, "Well, children, I did not delay starting my discourse for two hours
because Janaka is the king and, therefore, a very important man. I delayed
because he is a deserving person, a true seeker; and I believe in waiting for
such a one. Because he has purged himself of ego and pride, because he has true
humility, dedication and detachment he has the authority to hold up the
discourse. You listen, but you do not hear what is said or put it into practice;
therefore, you have no such authority.

"Instead of teaching hundreds of people who have made no effort in applying

these teachings to their daily lives, I can teach at least one person who truly
has a right to being taught, because he has integrated these sacred precepts
into his very life. What is the use of teaching people full of attachment and
egoism? It is something like throwing a stone into water. For any number of
years the stone may lie in the water, but it will not absorb even a drop of
water.

"Even if I can get just one person like Janaka, it is sufficient for me to go
on. Why have useless shining stones in great numbers? If there is at least one
gem which is truly valuable, that is enough. Why have ten acres of barren land
if you can have even a small plot that is fertile and abundant in its yield? If
one king like Janaka can become sacred, then he can transform his entire kingdom
and turn it into a sacred realm that will be an example to the whole world."
Suka's intent was to make Janaka a sacred king and at the same time to teach a
valuable lesson to the conceited disciples who had gathered around him.

Through Arjuna Krishna Taught The Whole World

Krishna had a similar intent when he taught the Gita to Arjuna. Arjuna was also
a sacred person, and he had qualified himself for the teachings by his character
and his high ideals. Arjuna had control of the senses; he had won a great deal
of spiritual power from the penance he had performed. He had, to a large extent,
suppressed his worldly attachments. He had a highly developed intellect and had
become skilled in many arts. And he had surrendered himself to Krishna in true
humility.

Krishna decided that Arjuna was ready for the highest wisdom and resolved to
turn him into a truly wise being. With the intention that if Arjuna could be
corrected, the whole world would benefit thereby, Krishna took great care to
give these sacred teachings to Arjuna. Arjuna had both the capacity and the
virtue to rise to great spiritual heights. That is the reason he had been given
a number of titles. The Sanskrit word arjuna means one who is pure.

Another title Krishna gave Arjuna was the sacred-hearted one; another was the
jewel-of-men. Arjuna was such a powerful person that he could, if he wanted to,
undertake acts which would terrify the entire world. But Arjuna always acted
purely in keeping with righteousness. He earned the right to use a powerful
weapon which could not be wielded by any other living person of his day.

Originally, this weapon belonged to Lord Shiva. This same fearsome weapon which
was originally with Shiva and then with King Janaka in an earlier age, in
Krishna and Arjuna's time, became the Gandhiva, Arjuna's formidable bow. By
earning the grace of Shiva, Arjuna was able to obtain this magnificent weapon.
In every respect Arjuna was an outstanding hero, and it was such a noble and
righteous human being that Krishna chose to teach the Gita, so that the entire
world would benefit thereby.

It is through your mouth that you offer food to the stomach. Then it is through
the stomach that the food reaches the entire body. In the same way as food
reaches all the limbs of the body when offered to the stomach, the Gita was
given to a pure and selfless person such as Arjuna so that it might reach the
entire world. One of Arjuna's names is Parthiva which means son of the earth.
All of you are children of the earth. Since Arjuna may be considered an
outstanding representative of all mankind, Krishna felt that the whole world
would in time be transformed by converting him into a sacred person.

Ordinary Actions, Detached Actions and Sacred Actions

Compared to ordinary actions which are done by thinking of yourself as the doer,
actions done without any sense of doership will be much greater. But, an action
that is done with complete selflessness, performed impersonally with total
indifference and without any attachment-is greater still. But when the action is
entirely offered to the Lord, when it becomes a holy sacrifice, it is even more
sacred than all of these. Thus, Krishna commanded Arjuna to offer all his acts
to the Lord. When Arjuna reached this state of evolution, that is, when Arjuna
acted completely selflessly and offered everything he did to the Lord, Krishna
began to teach him the Gita.

In the primary stage, every human being has to perform actions and be actively
employed in the tasks for which he is suited. One needs to perform action in
order not to develop laziness. A lazy person is absolutely useless to the world.
Swami does not approve or encourage anyone to be lazy. First, you must perform
ordinary actions. Then you should enter into the stage where you perform all
your actions without any self-interest. Gradually you transform these actions
into yoga, you transform work into worship. This is one of the core teachings of
the Gita.

The Gita Will Give You Whatever You Are Ready To Receive
It is to utterly destroy selfishness, egoism, arrogance, pride, possessiveness,
attachment, hatred and other such poisonous qualities that the Gita has taught
the truth in so many ways. In the process, it has helped many different kinds of
people to develop a sacred nature. The Gita may be compared to a wish-fulfilling
tree. Whatever you desire from the Gita it will give. The meaning given to
different teachings in the Gita depends on your outlook and stage of spiritual
preparation. No one can say that he knows the one correct meaning for a
particular verse; no one has the authority to claim that theirs is the only
meaning.

The Gita teachings apply to every level of spiritual seeker. Therefore, the Gita
may be described as the heart of the Vedanta. It is its very essence. The Gita
is a treasure chest of gold; the Gita is a flower-strewn path; the Gita is the
support of all earnest seekers and aspirants; the Gita allows them to swim and
survive in this sea of worldly life; the Gita helps them to traverse all
obstacles and reach their goal. A person who does not care for the Gita misses
the very purpose of life.

Whatever be your feelings, the meaning you will derive from the Gita will be
commensurate to your level of spiritual development. For example, many of the
devotees here will know the Sanskrit chant which is used as an incantation for
evoking the blessing of the Lord. Its first line translates, 'to the white
attired Lord'. Lord Vishnu is this all pervasive one. He is omnipresent. He is
described as ash-colored. He is also described as having the color of the moon,
being whitish, which is the same as saying that he has the color of ashes. He
has also been described as having four hands and a most pleasing and sacred
face, which does not exhibit any feeling of elation or dejection. This is the
feeling of believers, and it is in this way that they pray to the Lord. But non-
believers may use the very same words, although the image they describe with
these words may be completely different.

The Sanskrit word that starts this incantation also refers to the one who
carries white clothes. In whatever situation you see this one, you find it does
not exhibit any feelings; it is ash-colored, and it has four limbs. One can take
these attributes, put them all together and say that these words describe a
donkey. A donkey will be carrying white clothes from the washerman, it has four
limbs, an ash-colored body and a most patient face. It is not tied down to any
place, you can find it roaming in the roads, in front of the house, everywhere.
This is the meaning given to these very same words by non-believers. So, whether
it is the exalted Lord or a lowly ass, depends on how you look at it, whether
you are a devotee or a non-believer, and whether you are interested in or
oblivious to such spiritual expressions.

In the same way, the Gita yields up different meanings to different types of
people. Based upon the state of your feelings, each of you will get the meaning
which is appropriate to the stage you have reached on the spiritual path. So,
this Gita is a great wish-fulfilling tree. It is a celestial cow, giving freely
of its milk. You can take from it whatever meaning you like, whatever teaching
you are ready to absorb. There is plenty of water in the ocean, but the amount
of water you can take away from it depends upon the capacity of the vessel that
you have brought to fill up. The water will be the same; the difference will
only be in the size of the vessel. Likewise, there may be differences in your
feelings, but the Gita is only one.

The basic message of the Gita is the same for all; its sacred purpose is to
transform humanity into divinity. You should not take such a holy book lightly.
You should approach the Gita with a deep feeling of devotion and commitment. You
should chant the verses with genuine feeling and understanding. And you should
practice daily at least one or two of the precepts given here. Only then will
you gain complete fulfillment in your life.

Thirty-Third Chapter

DEVELOPING THE INNER VISION

Whether you are actively working in the world or have withdrawn from it, the
most important consideration is not the work that you do or not do, but how
effectively you have been able to uproot and destroy the deep-seated tendencies
which lie hidden in your heart.

Embodiments of Love,
The principal objective of all spiritual practices is the removal of the deep-
seated negative thought forms, impure habits, tendencies, and predispositions,
which in Sanskrit are called the vasanas, and which have encased themselves
deeply within you. They manifest in your thoughts and actions as the twin evils
of attachment and hatred, or attraction and repulsion. You must cleanse yourself
of all trace of these evils which have harbored themselves inside you.

You Cannot Run From Your Inner Enemies

If you just run away to the forest or to a cave without performing the
appropriate exercises to remove your inner enemies, then, whether you like it or
not, all your latent tendencies will continue to produce thoughts and actions
that bind you. These impurities will lie there as seeds in your heart and prompt
a stream of thoughts that will be saturated with likes and dislikes, desires and
delusions. As a result, you end up forgetting your true human nature.

The Gita has shown that if you can root out the entrenched tendencies that cling
to your heart, then you are free to perform any action without concern for the
results. From that point on, you will not be bound by any actions that you may
become engaged in. In other words, you will be freed completely from the fruits
of your actions. People who do not understand this truth and end up renouncing
all outside activities become mired in sloth and laziness. But the Gita has
repeatedly warned that there is no room at all for laziness in the world of the
spirit.

What the Gita teaches is the yoga of impersonal action, in which you remain
totally detached and free of any personal interest in the work that you do and
in the results that accrue from it. It means working with full concentration to
the limits of your capacity for excellence, but orienting all your actions to
the service of God and remaining established in God-consciousness. You will not
be able to reach this high stage of desirelessness in your actions and
renunciation of the fruits of your labors, as long as your vasanas which have
arisen from past actions are unfavorable for spiritual progress.

Transform All Self-serving Actions Into Selfless Actions

You must first remove the negative tendencies which have driven all your
ordinary, self-serving actions that have kept you bound, and replace these
negative tendencies with positive, noble qualities which are associated with
beneficial and selfless actions. Then, when you are firmly established in the
stage of selfless service, wherein you perform only good actions, you can go on
to the higher stage where you renounce the fruits of all your actions. From
there, you will naturally rise to the stage of totally selfless, impersonal
yoga. At that stage, you make sure that all your actions are of the highest
purity and then you offer them all up to the divinity, to do with as the
divinity wishes.

What is the inner secret of performing work? It is the Gita's proclamation that
only through positive, laudable activities can the negative tendencies be
removed. The Gita advises you to be engaged only in good actions so that you
will steadily purify your heart. But it goes further than that. It asserts that
true purity of heart can be achieved only by dedicating all your actions to the
Lord. Every action that you perform must be offered to God; only then can your
heart be fully cleansed. Consider an example.

When food is eaten after having been cooked and prepared in different ways, it
is just ordinary food, and you are subject to the good or bad effects of eating
that food. However, if special care is taken in the preparation of this food to
make sure that it is pure and worthy of being offered to the divinity, and then,
before consuming it, it is offered with full heart to God, then it becomes
consecrated food. From that point on, this will no longer be ordinary food.
Consuming it will confer divine blessings, for it will be the sacred gift of the
divinity.

By the same token, all the many activities performed by you during the day fall
into the category of ordinary actions. But when you perform these same actions,
even if they are just little acts, with the intention of making them an offering
to God, devoting their results not to your own pleasure but for the pleasure of
the Lord, then your actions become sacred actions. In other words, your karma
becomes karma yoga. It is only through such karma yoga that you will be able to
rid yourself of all evil tendencies and make your heart pure.

Purify Your Actions Before Offering Them To God

What should be the qualities of the actions you offer at the feet of the Lord?
How sacred should they be? Before an object is offered to an ordinary
individual, you see to it that it has some utility, that it has some value, that
it is pure and that it will be cherished. In other words, that it will be
received with joy. That being the case in offering something to another
individual, then how much more care should you take in making an offering to the
Lord! How very pure and extremely fulfilling it must be! One must not offer all
types of objects and all types of actions to the Lord. Before you offer anything
to the Lord, you must first make it pure, you must make it sacred and great.
Then it will be a fit offering for the Lord.

For example, if you want to offer a rose to the Lord, you first select a
beautiful, fragrant bloom. Then you remove the insects from the flower. Next you
remove the thorns and any imperfect leaves from the stem; and in a number of
other ways you make your offering as beautiful and as pure as possible. Only
then do you offer it to the Lord. Every action you perform should be like this
flower which you offer to the Lord. Just as a fine fragrance is inherent in the
flower you offer, so also your actions must be saturated with the fragrance of
love and sacredness. Just as the flower that you offer is beautiful and pure, so
also your actions must be good and pure. Such is true karma yoga. The Gita
prompts you to offer only such kinds of action to the Lord.
You must be able to distinguish between wise action and unwise action, and for
that you must understand the difference between wisdom and ignorance. You must
develop your wisdom until it expands and merges with the cosmic wisdom, the
divine wisdom. Anyone who wants to directly experience the Lord must develop
this wisdom, and along with it a number of important qualities.

The Characteristics Of An Enlightened Being

These qualities of a person endowed with spiritual wisdom are patience,
determination, purity of body and mind, selfless love, an everpresent awareness
and yearning for the indwelling divinity, and the six qualities which are known
as the spiritual treasures-namely, control of the mind, control of the senses,
renunciation of selfish desires, endurance and indifference to all kinds of
opposites such as pain and pleasure, an unshakable faith in the sacred teachings
and contentment derived from a steady, unwavering mind. Let us consider the
first of these qualities: patience.

Patience or forbearance is one of the most important characteristics that every

person should practice and possess. Many kings have been destroyed because they
abandoned this quality of patience. Even great sages have lost all their
spiritual merit because they neglected this quality. Countless scholars have
come to ruin because they overlooked this invaluable characteristic. Patience
can be thought of as the most important shield and armor for facing the battle
of life. You quickly lose all your human qualities if you lose patience. As you
have already seen, the quality of patience is an extremely important sign of a
great person; without patience it would not be possible to become an enlightened
being.

A resolute nature, in other words, the quality of determination and being

endowed with a firm resolve, is the pre-condition for developing patience. Now,
a resolute nature should not be associated with stubborn foolishness. In matters
relating to the spirit, firmness and a resolute nature refer to a mind that is
free from delusion and unsteadiness.

Whatever obstacle is encountered, whatever troubles and problems arise, with a

resolute nature you will remain firmly committed to pursue the tasks which you
have undertaken until you achieve your final goal. If you do not have this
quality of determination, then patience will have no basis and cannot develop in
strength. Patience and determination are twins; one cannot exist without the
other. Without determination, patience cannot establish itself, and without
patience, determination will degenerate into arrogance.

Next, let us consider purity. Just as you undertake various actions to purify
your body, so also you must undertake various good actions to purify your mind.
Through these acts, you can remove the attachments and desires that have
polluted your mind with egoism. Only when these negative qualities are
eliminated will you be able to achieve self-control. Just as a tortoise is free
to loosen its limbs and come out of its shell, or to withdraw itself back into
its shell, in the same way, you should be able to control your senses and use
them when you need them. The Gita has affirmed that these are also very
important qualities of a wise person.

By Their Actions People Will Reveal Their Inner Natures

It is in the field of action or karma that you most patently reveal your
character and the type of human being you are. That is why so much importance
has been given to performing all your actions without attachment to the fruits.
Just as a mirror can show you the type of face you have, your actions will
reveal the type of inner feelings you have. When you have some dealings with
others, you can easily find out the type of people they are by examining their
actions.

People may appear to be very fair, to be serene and mild, and have a very
peaceful disposition; in other words, they appear to have a satvic nature. They
may also appear to be individuals ready to undergo great personal sacrifice. You
may believe that they are blessed with a sacred heart. But their actions may
prove them to be otherwise. Their actions may be totally devoid of love and
compassion and true caring and consciousness of others. Their actions may reveal
an animal nature or even a demonic nature. Through their actions their hidden
nature is revealed.

Other people, by the outer impressions they first make, may seem to be cruel.
You may feel that they are curt and abrupt and lacking in civility or gracious
manners. They may appear, in every way, to be very rajasic or even tamasic, the
lower animal-like qualities previously-discussed. But, if in their actions
people exhibit compassion and other great human qualities, then you must
conclude that they are truly satvic in nature. So, if you want to ascertain
whether a particular person is predominantly satvik, rajasic, or tamasic in
nature, whether his inner being is serene and selfless, or desire-ridden and
quick to react negatively, or slothful, vicious and mean, then you need only to
observe his actions. People's actions will unmistakably reveal their inner
nature.

The Gita has pointed out the type of actions that should be performed in daily
life. The Gita has not commanded you to renounce everything, take up sanyasa, by
which is meant that you detach yourself from all worldly possessions and
interests, and go to the forest. Rather, the Gita has shown that an important
duty and responsibility of every human being is to undertake useful activities
in the world. Furthermore, the Gita proclaims that the secret of human life is
to recognize and follow the path of dharma, which means engaging yourself in
selfless and sacred actions that promote the welfare of your fellow human
beings.

The Gita declares that human life lies in action; you would not even be able to
sustain the body if you abstained from all actions. Therefore, every ordinary
human being, as well as every spiritual aspirant, should enter into the field of
activities and work. But the actions which you perform must be sacred actions;
they must conform to the principle of dharma.

You have to convert your activities into karmas which are useful to others. You
have to perform actions which are ideal, and you have to practice such ideal
actions without any selfish motive. They must originate not from the compulsive
drive of desire, but from the peaceful quality in your heart, devoid of self-
interest and attachment to the fruits. Only then can your actions be considered
satvic in nature. i.Ordinary people will not be able to perform actions
completely without desire. You will have to orient your actions and your desires
towards the purpose of seeking and experiencing God. When that sacred
orientation becomes the basis of all your activities, then your karma becomes
yoga. That will lead you straight on the path to your goal of becoming one with
the divinity.

The Spell Of Illusion And Its Two Powerful Forces

However, involved with all your actions, there will be the spell of maya or
illusion which will frustrate your efforts to reach your divine goal. There are
two powerful forces which make up maya; these are the veiling power and the
projecting power. There is no particular form or shape to these two. First,
consider the veiling or covering power. How does it cover? With what does it
cover? How can you uncover this thing which it has covered? If it does not have
form itself, by what means does it cover? How can it be removed? These are all
questions that cannot be answered.

Maya is mysterious and inexplicable. Delusion and confusion are its very nature.
Consider a rope lying on the road. In the darkness you are deluded into
believing that this rope is a snake. What is it that has covered the rope? Try
to understand what happened. You were suddenly filled with a feeling of fear
because you imagined a snake lying on the road before you. So, it was in your
mind that the rope got converted into a snake and you got frightened. Is the
snake really there? No, there is no snake there. Then how can the rope be
converted into a thing which does not exist and never has existed? This is the
delusion.

Under what circumstances does this delusion exert its influence on you? It is
during twilight or in the dark that you imagine you see the snake when there is
only a rope there. It is through darkness that the delusion comes and envelops
you. In truth, no snake has replaced the rope, but the delusion beclouds the
minds of human beings and obscures their clear perception. This delusion is
maya. When you shine your light on the area, you find no snake there; there is
only a rope lying there. Thus, in the light, delusion disappears and the real
object is seen.

That which exists will always exist; it will never cease to exist. It remains
unchanged forever. There cannot be even the slightest variation in its
existence. It is only the delusion affecting it which comes and goes. The form
that this delusion takes in the mind is the second powerful force of maya, the
projecting power, which superimposes imaginary creations and objects on the
unchanging basis. In this case the projection was the snake. Another time it
will be something else.

Moods, pains, pleasures, all come and go. They are something like relatives that
come to visit you but do not stay permanently. In the same way, this maya comes
and goes as a delusion for human beings. The delusion in your mind which covers
the rope and hides it from view is the veiling power. The illusion which has
been projected by your mind onto the rope is the projecting power. With the help
of the light you see the rope as rope, and the snake vanishes. So these two
aspects of maya have come in the darkness and have disappeared in the light.

The Power of Maya to Delude Can Be Permanently Dispelled

Do these two powers of illusion always come at the same time, or can they come
at different times? The veiling power and projecting power may appear and
disappear at the same time, but, as happens in deep sleep when there is only the
veiling power, they may appear and disappear at different times, also. Maya is
inexplicable. It has no beginning. But it can permanently come to an end. When
the light of wisdom shines on it, maya will finally disappear. Then the one
unchanging reality will stand revealed. By teaching this great wisdom to Arjuna,
Krishna was able to free him from delusion and helped him shine with the inner
light.

Then as now, you are developing only superficial understanding and outer vision.
But it is the inner vision that is important; it alone is true and sacred. You
lose sight of the one reality, of your own truth, because you pay attention only
to the impermanent outer vision and completely forget the permanent inner
vision. God's mission is to restore this sacred inner vision. This is what he
does when he comes as avatar.
Krishna said, "Dear one, whatever actions you perform during the time you are on
this earth, know that they are all impermanent. In time, you will discover that
everything in this world is temporary. Your relationships, your attachments,
your accomplishments, the sense of individuality you have developed, are all
going to disappear. Everything gets washed away in the flow of time. If you try
to catch hold of things and cling to things which are themselves being carried
away by this flow of time, what chance is there for you to be saved? What chance
is there for you to reach that perfection which is forever unaffected by this
flow, and which not only is never subject to it, but is always its master?

"Arjuna, the things you are holding on to are all being washed away. Develop the
firm conviction that in attaching yourself to temporary things you are wasting
your life, that you are wasting the sacred opportunity that has been given to
you to reach the permanent state that is your true reality. Surrender yourself
to the divinity, hold on to that permanent entity always established in your
heart, and you will surely gain the eternal joy, the bliss divine."

A Pure Heart Is Free Of Attachment and Illusion

In this way, Krishna urged Arjuna to free himself from the attachments and
illusions that were confounding him. Krishna said, "Arjuna, you yourself must
purify your heart and remove the veil of ignorance that is beclouding you. Take
to the path of righteous action, work for the welfare of the world and dedicate
every act to me, your very self, residing in your heart."

There is no royal road for human life leading to spiritual awakening other than
through karma yoga, through the path of sacred action. You will be able to enter
the path of devotion only after you have laid a firm foundation through good
actions. And only after you have purified your feelings and developed your
devotion will you be able to enter the path of wisdom and proceed on to the
highest level of God-realization. It is in the arena of action that you lay the
groundwork for reaching up to the loftiest regions of the spirit, or plunging
yourself down to the lowest depths of sorrow. Your good or bad circumstances are
inextricably linked with your actions.

As part of your activities, you may perform the various scripturally-prescribed

sacrifices and ceremonial rituals. But, as previously mentioned, these can take
you only up to heaven. Krishna informed Arjuna that there was a state which was
far beyond and far more sacred than heaven. "Do not consider heaven as a
permanent place,"
Krishna said. "When you have exhausted your merits you will have to leave heaven
and return to earth. Heaven is only a temporary camp; you will not be able to
reside there permanently. Perhaps you think that in heaven you will be able to
enjoy so many bodily and mental pleasures. But, in truth, the pleasures you get
there are only a little greater than those you get here on earth. There is a
state which is far, far beyond; far more sacred. That state may be reached by
identifying yourself with God, by associating yourself with the atma, by merging
your small individual self with your highest eternal self. In order to attain
this state you will have to become totally desireless and selfless; you will
have to perform all your actions without expecting any fruits from them."

Actions Without Attachment To The Fruits

Whenever you perform an action, there will always be a consequence, a resultant
fruit from that effort. However, there is no rule that says that you alone
should enjoy the fruit of your actions. A grandfather might have planted a seed
which subsequently developed into a fruit tree. And this grandfather might have
died before the tree produced any fruit. But the fruit of the tree might have
been enjoyed by his grandchildren, some time later. Here is a case where a
person performing an action did not personally enjoy the fruit; but some others
had the chance to enjoy them.

The grandfather might have knowingly planted the tree without ever expecting to
enjoy the fruit; he undertook the task originally with the broadminded view that
the tree in the courtyard would give fruit to the generations who came along
later; fruit which would be greatly enjoyed by them. And so, the fruit of his
broadminded action was reaped by succeeding members of his family.

With what motive did the grandfather plant this particular tree? He might have
done it with the slightly selfish motive that it would give enjoyment to members
of his family. But the selfishness that comes from doing everything only for
your own enjoyment is much baser and meaner than this grandfather's slight tinge
of selfishness. The inner urge which leads you to undertake actions which are
primarily for the welfare of others is always greater and nobler than the narrow
feelings that lead you to act completely selfishly, expecting to derive all the
benefits of your actions only for yourself. In this sense, the grandfather's
action must be considered far superior to that of an individual who acts only
for himself.

But, clearly, there is an even greater action, one that goes beyond all selfish
considerations; that is when you perform an action as an offering to God. That
is the greatest of all actions and that is what you should strive for. You
should endeavor to perform all your actions selflessly and disinterestedly,
offering them to God, without expecting to reap any of the fruits. Such action
is truly yoga.

From Ordinary Actions To Buddhi Yoga to Karma Yoga

Using your intellect to plan out an action, the fruits of which would benefit
someone else, as was the case of the grandfather planting a tree that was
enjoyed by future generations of his family, can be called buddhi yoga. In
buddhi yoga, you inquire into the consequences of your actions, and thereby base
your actions on the reasoning power of your intellect. Intellect goes far beyond
the narrow selfish considerations of the lower mind and the senses. But even
here there is still a tinge of selfishness.

When you are completely free of all selfishness, totally indifferent to the
results, acting effectively and with full concentration, but without any
attachment or desire, and offering all your actions to God, then you are
practicing karma yoga; that is far superior to buddhi yoga. Such a high state is
not easily accessible to ordinary people. But that does not mean that you should
give up trying to attain it. With whole-hearted effort and with God's grace,
seemingly impossible things can be achieved. If you persist in your efforts,
then with practice you will be able to reach this high level of karma yoga in
all your activities.

To succeed in this, the inner vision must be developed. In order to firmly

establish that inner vision, you must keep a particular principle constantly in
mind. It is this: no matter how hard you search, whether it be in this physical
world or in the world of your dreams and imaginations, or any other world, all
you will ever see, wherever you look, will be combinations and variations of the
five elements, either in their gross or subtle forms. They are the only things
you will ever be able to find anywhere. There can never be anything else; there
is no such thing as a sixth element.
These five elements are all reflections of the unlimited effulgence of God. They
are his aspects. Their basis is the one divine principle. Therefore, perform all
your actions with full consciousness, regarding all objects in the world not as
the different, multifarious names and forms that they appear to be, but as mere
combinations of the five elements, energized and illuminated by the one divine
principle. When you know that, when you see everything in the world to be the
sacred manifestation of divinity, then all your actions will automatically
become offerings to God.

By keeping such lofty ideas in view while performing your actions, you
effectively turn your vision from the limited outer vision to the liberating
inner vision, and thus become a sacred human being. Constantly reflecting, in
this manner, on the divinity that is everywhere, is the best way to develop the
inner vision that will establish you in karma yoga. But such inner vision is
very rare among people; even the greatest pundits and scholars are steeped only
in the outer vision. Here is a story that illustrates this.

Astravakra At The Assembly Of Scholars

Once upon a time, King Janaka called an assembly of great scholars. Noted
academicians participated. Famous pundits and logicians came from all over the
realm. Scholars of renown, who were extremely articulate in their arguments,
streamed in. A number of highly gifted persons who were capable of impressing
the whole world with their intellectual and verbal prowess came to the great
hall of the palace where the assembly was being held. This assembly was composed
of such giants that there was no room at all for ordinary people to enter.

The daily meetings were presided over by King Janaka himself. Of the highly
select group in attendance, only the most outstanding and accomplished were
given an opportunity to speak and present their views. Into this magnificent and
august assembly, young Astavakra, a young boy with a hideously deformed body,
sought to gain admission. But who would permit Astavakra to enter? He did not
have any credentials or any recommendation whatsoever. He did not have the help
of any great teacher or sponsor. The only help he had was his deep faith in God.

Whoever has an abiding faith in God will not be put to any insurmountable
difficulties. Temporarily there may be some obstacles, but in the end he is sure
to meet with success. For three days Astavakra waited at the gate of King
Janaka's palace through which all the participants to the great assembly
entered. There, while waiting, Astavakra observed all the world-famous scholars
who were coming to attend the meeting. Although only recognized scholars were
being allowed inside, Astavakra was not prepared to give up his resolution to
join the assembly and participate in its deliberations. 'I, too, have a chance,'
he said to himself and continued to wait patiently at the gate, day after day.

There was one observant and sympathetic old scholar who noticed Astavakra
standing by that gate whenever he entered and exited through it, morning and
evening. The kindly old scholar informed King Janaka of the boy's presence. He
told King Janaka that there was someone standing outside waiting for days to
enter the assembly, although he did not have any of the usual qualifications
necessary for being permitted inside. He told the king that this was not an
elderly scholar, nor even a middle-aged one, but a very young person who did not
seem to have much experience and who did not wear any of the accepted marks of
achievement in scholarship, nor was he personally recommended by any of the
pundits present. In short, nothing was known of this person or his
qualifications except that he had been continuously waiting to come inside.
King Janaka directed his attendants to find the boy who was waiting at the gate
outside and to bring him into the assembly hall. Shortly after King Janaka had
taken his seat and the meeting began in the solemn and sacred atmosphere
befitting such an august assembly, Astavakra entered the hall. The moment they
saw this young boy with such a crooked form come to take part in the assembly,
most of the great scholars who had gathered there began to laugh. King Janaka,
who was keenly observing Astavakra as he entered, did not laugh.

Astavakra carefully looked around the hall, and then quite inexplicably started
laughing even louder than the scholars who were seated there. This loud burst of
laughter from Astavakra was quite inadmissible and greatly surprised the
scholars. It became a real problem for them. 'Why should this young scamp be
laughing at us?' they thought. 'There certainly is reason enough for our
laughter, considering how funny he looks, but there is nothing at all strange
about us, so what conceivable reason does he have for all this laughter?' They
were very disturbed and irritated by what they considered the boy's
impertinence.

You find this to be a rather common experience in the world, that when ordinary
people see someone who has a physical defect which gives him a crooked
appearance or makes him appear strange or unusual, they are inclined to laugh.
Such gross behavior can only be considered a sign of ignorance. It is totally
different from the warm smile of an innocent child. A small child will smile at
any person, regardless of their appearance. When the child smiles, every other
person seeing this child will also smile along with it. Such a child's smile,
which infects everyone who sees it, arises from the sacredness of innocence. But
in that assembly hall, the laughter that Astavakra met with was very different
from a child's innocent smile. That hall was packed full with very great and
noted scholars, persons of exceptional accomplishments in learning; but there
was no child-like innocence to be found there.

The assembled scholars were eagerly waiting to find out why this strange-looking
young lad who had just come in was laughing so loudly. One of the scholars was
bold enough to speak to Astavakra. He asked, "Young stranger, who are you? We do
not know you. When we looked at you as you came in, your form made us laugh. In
response to our laughter, you are laughing even more loudly. What is the reason
for this? What is so ludicrous about all the renowned scholars seated here that
you have not stopped laughing even for a moment?"

Without Inner Vision They Were Shoemakers Not Scholars

Astavakra replied, "I entered this gathering thinking it to be a sacred assembly
convened by the famous Emperor Janaka to discuss the holy scriptures. If only I
had known what kind of people were attending this assembly, I would not have
bothered to come. I waited patiently for many days and then entered this hall
thinking that the greatest living scholars would be assembled here. I looked
forward to being in the company of such sacred souls. But, alas, I find nothing
but common cobblers here, only shoemakers, who stitch sandals and work with
leather."

When they heard this, all the scholars became furious, feeling deeply insulted
by Astavakra for using such abusive words. But Astavakra continued in the same
vein, "Cobblers is the proper word to describe you. Only cobblers, only people
who work with hides would think about the worth of a particular skin; others
will not be bothered about it. All of you are laughing at my skin and have
obviously decided that it is not worth much. But not even one of you has made
any effort to know my spiritual understanding. Pundits should have the capacity
to look inward, but you only seem to care about the outer covering. If you have
not developed your inner vision but are only concerned with the superficial
outer vision, then you cannot be considered scholars at all. Then you are only
cobblers, shoemakers, specialists in hides." Thus spoke Astavakra.

The scholars hung their heads in shame. King Janaka, who understood very well
what Astavakra was saying, invited him to take a seat in that assembly and
subsequently bestowed numerous honors upon him.

As was the case then, so is the case now throughout the world. However great
people may be, they have developed only the external vision. They do not bother
to cultivate the inner vision. When you examine a person, you pay attention to
his physical features, his wealth, his status, his education and degrees and so
on. On the other hand, when God examines a person, he looks at the purity of his
heart, he pays attention to the peace that is within him. You should also
develop such inner vision and inner peace. Whatever be the circumstances, you
should not be subject to quick excitement. You should allow time for the nobler
feelings to well up from inside you and manifest themselves.

Let All The Poisons Emerge Without Interference

Suppose someone insults you what will you lose by their insult? You should not
respond to such insults with any agitation or excitement. If you remain
peaceful, all the anger of the other person may freely pour out. But if you try
to obstruct others' strong feelings by preventing them from venting their anger,
it could possibly lead to a dangerous situation. Consider, as an example, that
someone has become sick, that he is feeling quite nauseous and is throwing up
the contents in his stomach. What is the reason for his being sick and vomiting?
It is because some impurities, some toxic substances have entered his stomach.
Wherever there are impurities you will soon find germs or poisons, and along
with them come sickness and diminution of health. For this reason, it is most
important that no impurities enter your system.

The body is carefully arranged to immediately throw up and expel any toxins that
attempt to enter it. When the body reacts naturally by vomiting out the poisons,
it would be incorrect to give medicines to stop that vomiting. If medicine is
given, the toxins will not be thrown up; instead they will remain in the stomach
and soon poison the whole system. Therefore, one should allow all the impurities
to come out and not obstruct them by giving medicine which suppresses the
nausea. After all the impurities have been thrown up, then one can give some
healing medicines.

Once the vomiting and nausea are over, a person will feel very weak. Then he
will do whatever you ask; that is when he will obey you. So this is the best
procedure to follow when someone is vomiting out poison. The same thing applies
whenever someone is very angry and is vomiting out poison, in that form. Let
them do it; do not obstruct them. Whatever they want to say, let them say it as
long as they want to. Until such time as it all comes out, you should remain
peaceful and patient. Why should you subject yourself to a lot of disturbance
and excitement? Instead of becoming upset, your patient attitude will actually
promote feelings of peace and happiness within you. This itself is the
experience of heaven, namely. to maintain your equanimity and compassion under
all circumstances. Why should you deny yourself the joy of such heavenly
feelings?

Patience is a most important quality. Of all the good qualities a person can
have, patience and forbearance rank at the very top. Baba has said a number of
times that forbearance is truth, forbearance is righteousness, forbearance is
nonviolence, forbearance is happiness. Forbearance really is equal in value to
everything that you can find in all the worlds. If a person has forbearance,
then he will be able to acquire all the other important qualities such as mind
control, sense control, renunciation, fortitude, faith and equipoise. All these
make up the state of inner purity.

You use soap and water and powders and perfumes of various kinds to purify
yourself externally. In the same way, you develop these six spiritual treasures
and put them into daily practice in order to purify yourself internally. Inner
purity is extremely important; it is even more important than outer purity. The
Lord is ever present both inside and outside. The entire place where the Lord is
to be found must be purified and sanctified, both inner and outer. Then the
indwelling God will protect you wherever you go.

The Six Spiritual Treasures

Krishna taught Arjuna all the qualities which make one an ideal person, firmly
established in wisdom. They have been previously mentioned but let us examine
them once again. They are:

1. peace of mind,
2. sense control,
3. renunciation of desires,
4. fortitude under all circumstances; this means that whatever be the test,
whatever be the circumstances, you maintain a steady, undeluded and
unwavering mind,
5. a firm faith in the teachings of the scriptures, as well as in the words of
the guru and the great saints who have trod the spiritual path before you,
and
6. being contented under all circumstances and having complete equanimity of
mind.
Only when you have equanimity of mind will you be able to develop firmness and
fortitude. Only when you have fortitude will you be able to develop firm faith.
Only when you have intense faith will you have some sacred feelings and renounce
desires. Only when you have disgust for the objects of the world will you have
sense control. Then when you have achieved sense control, you will gain peace of
mind. Where there is peace of mind there is inner and outer purity. And where
there is inner and outer purity, patience will be second-nature to you and you
will dwell automatically in that peaceful state. Therefore, you must make an
effort to develop these basic qualities which are so vital to progress on the
spiritual path.

By reading or listening to these teachings on the Gita, or even committing

various passages to memory, you will not be able to achieve much. Along with
these activities of the mind, you have to put at least one or two of the
injunctions given here into practice. Only then will the fragrance of the Gita
enter your heart. It is Baba's wish that all these great teachings which you
have been enjoying be put into practice by you, so that they can become your
inner treasure and be an integral part of your expression in all your day-to-day
activities.

Thirty-Fourth Chapter

REMOVE BODY-CONSCIOUSNESS - REALIZE GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

The world is filled with God. Saturated as it is with the divinity, the world is
also filled with karma or action. Karma is the power of creation, the power of
life; it is a power directly derived from God. You come into human birth in
order to reap the fruits of your previous actions. In that way, actions lead to
rebirth and then to more actions, thereby, keeping you bound to the cycle of
birth and death. To free yourself from this bondage, should you engage in
actions or should you abstain from actions? The Gita makes the answer clear. The
path to liberation is through karma, through action. But it enjoins you to turn
all your actions into karma yoga, sacred action which will take you towards
union with God.

Embodiments of Love,
When the power of life takes on manifestation, it becomes a body. Life, which
wears these various bodies, has also been called karma. The Sanskrit word karma
means work or action; but karma refers not only to the action itself but also to
the cycle of action and reaction, of work and its resulting fruits. Your body is
formed on the basis of the karma or actions that you performed in an earlier
birth. You get this human body and this life in order to enjoy or suffer the
consequences of actions that you were engaged in during another life.

The body is directly associated with karma; it has no meaning outside of karma.
Body means karma, and karma means body. It is through the body that every
conceivable kind of action is performed. The place and the time where these
actions occur are within nature or the world. When actions become sacred and
righteous, when they are selfless and of the highest purity, and when they have
been offered to God, then they become yoga; they lead to union with God. So, you
can see, that in action God, man and nature all come together.

You Perform Actions In Order To Sanctify Your Life

Everything in the world is the result of karma. That is why the ancient wisdom
teachings have declared, 'Offer your prostrations to karma'. Whatever happens is
the consequence of some previous action, in other words, the result of karma.
And, be they good or bad, be they virtuous or evil, all karmas, all actions are
derived from the powers of God. The expression may be different but in the
deepest sense, everything comes from God. That is the reason why a yogi, without
caring whether it is favorable or unfavorable, accepts everything that happens
to him as the will of the Lord, and considers the performance of righteous
action as his primary duty.

The purpose for which you should be performing all your actions is to sanctify
your life. It is only through God's grace that you gain the privilege to engage
in righteous actions. It is through the teachings of the Lord that you get this
sacred opportunity and direction. It is for that reason that this holy scripture
is called the Gita. Gita means song. It is the song of the Lord. All those who
listen to this song will be able to overcome grief and sorrow. Whether it be on
the battlefield or on some other field, wherever this sacred song is sung, grief
and sorrow will be dispelled.

When actions are performed as offerings to God, they become yoga. This is
revealed in the prayer given by a great saint who sang,
O beloved Lord. You are the atma, my very self. My body is your house. All my
daily duties are my offerings to you. My life's breath is your praise. Wherever
I walk I am circumambulating you. Whatever word I utter is a mantra in adoration
of you. Every karma I perform is done as worship unto you.

This saint had purified every action performed by his sense organs and offered
these actions to the Lord; thereby; all his deeds became acts of worship. When
you transform your actions into sacred actions, suitable as offerings to God,
then your actions will bring you into alignment with God; they will become yoga.
You need to recognize the greatness inherent in such yoga and strive to purify
every act you perform and offer it to the Lord. On the eve of the great war,
Krishna commanded Arjuna, "Arjuna you must fight this war. But while doing so,
think continuously of me and make every action pure and offer it to me. That is
what pleases me." Obeying the commands of the Lord, Arjuna fought on the
battlefield to preserve righteousness, keeping Krishna steadily in his mind.

Make All Your Actions A Sacrifice Not A Battle

To reach your spiritual goals, you need to obtain God's love. In fact, for a
devotee, pleasing the Lord is itself the goal. It becomes your most important
duty. You must make sure that every act you perform will satisfy the Lord.
Krishna taught, 'Obey my commands and perform your duty.' In obeying the
commands of the Lord and fighting in the war, Arjuna's actions became a sacred
yagna, a sacrificial ritual which exalts the divinity and immerses one in the
divine flow of grace. In contrast, there is a story in one of the epics of
Daksha who wanted to perform a yagna, a ritual sacrifice. However, he disobeyed
and disrespected Lord Shiva, and he also violated the commands of the holy
sages. With a sense of egoism and attachment, he commenced the sacrifice. His
egoism converted that sacrifice into a war.

You see that because Arjuna obeyed the Lord's commands and fought in the war,
his battle became a sacred sacrifice. But for Daksha, who performed his
sacrifice in violation of the Lord's commands, his sacrifice became a battle.
What is a war and what is a sacrifice? All actions that are pure and selfless,
and performed as an offering to the Lord, become a sacrifice. But actions which
are undertaken in violation of the Lord's command, which are contrary to the
scriptures and which are performed with a sense of egoism and pomposity,
undertaken only for the purpose of promoting one's desires or hatreds ... all
such actions become a war, even though the nature of the action may be that of a
sacrifice. When the anguish and hatred in a person takes form in words, and
these words, in turn, lead to argument and counter argument, then a battle will
soon ensue. The root of all this is attachment and desire, arising from
identification with the body.

You Are The Atma, You Are Not This Body

Krishna said, "Arjuna, obey my commands. Give up body-consciousness. Give it up
completely. Stop identifying yourself with your body. The body is full of mucus
and filth. You are not this body; it is only temporary and transient. You are
the witness, the indweller, the atma inside this body. This six-foot frame is
not you. You are the cosmic personality; you are boundless. This body is subject
to birth and death. You, however, are the atma which is birthless and deathless.

You are not a limited individual, subject to the passage of time. You are that
most effulgent form which has conquered and mastered time itself. Discriminate
between the permanent and the impermanent! Inquire into wisdom and ignorance!
Distinguish between truth and untruth!"

Krishna continued, "Arjuna, recognize your real nature! Censure and praise are
associated with the body; they are not permanent. Profit and loss are also
associated with the body. They are a result of activity, of karma, but they are
not characteristics of your essence, the atma. Be indifferent to all these
polarities. Treat joy and sorrow equally. Only when you develop this kind of
equal-mindedness, will you be able to realize true fulfillment and become a
truly wise being." In this way, Krishna taught Arjuna the highest wisdom, the
discrimination between truth and untruth, the recognition of that which is
permanent behind all that which is impermanent.

God In Human Form Is Not Limited To The Avatars

God; is everywhere. He is all-knowing, he is all-pervasive, he is all-powerful.
He is not limited to the body. His power is not limited to the karma performed
through bodies. The divinity is not just a particular body called Rama, born in
a particular age;, or another body called Krishna, born in another age;. Those
incarnations served as exemplary models for mankind to follow. But, the
principle of divinity is not limited to any given body. The divinity is
omnipresent and omniscient.

Again and again this truth has been taught to mankind. Krishna spoke of this to
Arjuna. He said, "Arjuna, in remote antiquity, in many ages gone by, I have
taught this Gita to the sun god. Then others in a long lineage of sacred beings
came to know of the Gita when the sun god passed it on to the many great sages
of those times. But thereafter, slowly and gradually, this knowledge became
hidden and was finally lost. But it is this same ancient, sacred knowledge that
I am now teaching to you here today."

When Arjuna heard this, a number of doubts entered his mind. He began thinking,
"The sun god is a very ancient entity. Krishna was born only recently in this
present age. How could Krishna have taught the sun god who is so ancient?" As
soon as Arjuna had these thoughts, Krishna, who knows all minds and all hearts,
spoke up immediately. He said, "Well, Arjuna, I know your doubts." With a smile
on his lips, he continued, "You see, Arjuna, I am not this particular body. I am
the one who has no birth. I transcend all time and space. I am not limited by
circumstance. I exist in all ages, in all times. Basing your conception of me on
my body, you are thinking that I belong to this particular age. But all these
ages and all these eons are within me. Do not try to limit me to this body and
to a given time. Bodies change but I never change. I take on different bodies,
at different times, in order to perform karma and to fulfill a particular
mission." The moment Arjuna heard this, spiritual understanding dawned within
him and he recognized the timeless, unchanging principle of divinity.

Expand Your View Of Yourself To Understand The Divinity

All people will not be able to understand the omniscience of God. Even
spiritually-minded people will base their view only on the visible outward
actions of the Lord, thinking of him as an individual entity associated with a
given form. Since they identify themselves with their own bodies, so they also
identify the Lord with a particular body. They speculate on the future of this
particular divine incarnation and fail to recognize the omnipresence and
omniscience of the divinity. But this is not right. Krishna commanded Arjuna,
"Develop a broad mind and expand your vision. You can start with the concept of
the individual personality; but do not get stuck there. Do not waste your entire
life thinking only of individuals.

"From the individual, you must move on to the concept of the society, which
transcends the individual. Individuality and personality are associated with a
limited name and form, but let your mind soar beyond name and form. Reach and
experience that divine principle which is your very essence. You are still
viewing everything in the framework of duality, and so your life is manifesting
only duality. You are caught up in name and form, in subject and object. Make
the effort to travel from duality and illusion to complete oneness with the
divinity, constantly keeping this highest wisdom of pure non-duality as your
goal. Make an effort to see the same divine principle everywhere and in
everything, until you realize the ultimate truth that only the atma, which is
your very self, is real and that it alone exists."

Buddha taught the same great truth, although he may not have made reference to
the Vedas or used Vedantic terms. Nevertheless, he experienced and demonstrated
the essential spirit of the Vedas. First he said buddham sharanam gacchami,
meaning, 'I take refuge in the buddhi, my power of discrimination.' This deals
with the individual; it speaks of the limited personality. Gradually, he added
sangham sharanam gacchami, meaning, 'I take refuge in the community, I take
refuge in the extended family of spiritually-minded beings.' He recognized that
feelings associated with individual and personal considerations are selfish and
narrow, and cannot take you very far.

Go From The Individual To The Society To The Divinity

You should not consider this individual self as everything; it is only a drop in
the ocean. Along these lines, Krishna also directed, "Arjuna, expand your heart
and become broad-minded. Include the entire human society within your scope."
Society does not have any particular form; it is made up of individuals. When a
large number of individuals join together, they become a society. Baba often
says, "Expansion is my life." When you expand individual life to infinity it
becomes divinity; that is to say, let yourself as an individual multiply and
broaden to see the divinity in all, and you will reach divinity. Therefore,
Krishna told Arjuna, "Live in society, serve the society, and develop broad-
mindedness. Recognize the divinity to be present everywhere, in everyone."

The expansion from the individual to the society does not mean merely shifting
your loyalties to a particular group, kinfolk, region, community or country.
This is the first step, but you must go beyond that. These will still limit you
and not take you all the way to the divinity that is your own truth. Therefore,
Buddha added one more step, dharmam sharanam gacchami, meaning, 'I take refuge
in dharma, I take shelter in truth and righteousness.'

Dharma, as used here, has a very broad connotation; it refers to the one who
supports the entire world. When you investigate the general meaning of the word
dharma, you find that it relates to the basic nature of a thing, its essential
truth. It refers to the immortal atma, the indwelling divinity. Therefore, the
deeper meaning of dharma is found in the true nature of everything, which is
divinity. To take refuge in dharma is to become one with all the attributes of
divinity. It has been said that maya or illusion is the body of God, but it is
more correct to say that dharma is the body of God. It is his very form. That is
why Krishna announced, "For establishing dharma I have come again and again."
Dharma reveals the broad nature of the divinity in all its glorious aspects.

Krishna directed Arjuna, "Move beyond this short-sighted feeling of

individuality. Do not keep this body as the entire basis of your life. It is
only a covering, an instrument. It is what you see through your mortal eyes.
Broaden your vision. Develop your insight; acquire God-vision. When your vision
is filled with God, then the entire creation becomes God for you. Make dharma
your vision and your vision will become God-vision; then you will see the entire
creation as God."

Krishna continued, elucidating the correct means for practicing dharma, "As an
individual you are a prince, belonging to the warrior class. Fighting to protect
righteousness and organizing for battle is your duty, your dharma. It would not
be right for you to go out and incite a war, but in this case, your evil cousins
have declared war against you. My direction to you is that you honor your duty,
and while performing your duty, remember me and follow my commands. In that way,
all your actions will become suffused with dharma."

The Nature Of Dharma

In instructing Arjuna, Krishna revealed the essential form of dharma. "Arjuna,
it is the very nature of fire to burn; if it does not have the power to burn,
then it is not fire. Similarly, ice has the nature of coolness. If it is not
cold, you cannot call it ice. And sweetness is the very nature of sugar. If
sweetness is not there, the substance may look like sugar, but it may be salt or
it may be flour, but it is not sugar. In the very same way, death is natural for
every human body. When the human body moves on to its natural conclusion, why
should anyone worry about it?

"Just as burning is natural for fire, coolness is natural for ice and sweetness
is natural for sugar, so also death is natural for every human body. Without
concerning yourself about the bodies of your relatives, fight this war; but do
so keeping the attributes of a truly wise being in mind. If you want to obtain
peace, then you must destroy your ego and attachments. And you must also give up
your delusions. But do not give up God! He is within you. He is the very source
of your being. Attune yourself to him and obey all his commands, and you will
recognize the true nature of humanity."

Dharma, the divine quality which is natural to and inherent in man, will itself
destroy maya, the illusion of world, individuality and separateness. Previously
it was mentioned that the letters in the word man, where by man is meant a true
human being regardless of gender, the letter m stands for 'maya removed', the
letter a stands for 'atma seen' and the letter n stands for 'nirvana attained'.
In other words, remove the ego I, have the vision of the inner Lord and merge in
the joy of your immortal divine self, the atma... this is what makes up dharma;
this is the essential duty of man. Repeatedly, again and again, you should
contemplate on this.

Peace Can Only Be Found Within Yourself

Peace is not an object which is available in the market place. It is not a thing
which can be bought and won, along with a kingdom. It is not a gift which can be
given to you by your relatives. Peace is inherent in your own nature; it is
within you. Only when you search for it within yourself will you be able to find
it. Therefore, get rid of your outward vision and develop inward vision. Outward
vision is appropriate to an animal, not a human being. A true human being has
inward vision. "Therefore," Krishna commanded Arjuna, "sanctify your life by
developing this unique potential of the human beings to turn their minds
inwards."

The story has been told of how early in the career of the sage Narada, he was
continuously having one type of worry after another. Now, Narada had learned
quite a few things. He was a master of all 64 types of learning and had
practiced all 64 human skills; and yet he felt no inner peace. He began thinking
to himself, 'What is the reason for all this worry, this lack of peace that I am
feeling? I have mastered all types of learning, I understand all fields of human
knowledge; still, I have not been able to remove my sorrow.' He went to a great
sage and asked him to explain the reason for his worries and lack of peace.

The first thing the sage asked Narada was, "What are your qualifications?"
Narada replied, "I have learned and mastered every type of education; there is
no field of human knowledge which I have not learned." The sage then said,
"Well, that is very good. Then you must have learned the knowledge of the self?"
Narada replied, "No, except for self-knowledge I have had every kind of
education." The sage told Narada, "You can get peace of mind only with the
knowledge of the atma. Only when you have learned that supreme knowledge by
which you will know everything else, can you be called educated. Otherwise, you
remain ignorant, no matter how many fields you have mastered. What is the use of
learning so many things without understanding the one thing which is truly
essential?" Here is a small example.
For A Marriage There Must Be A Husband
In a small village there was to be a marriage. The lady of the home where the
marriage was to be celebrated, told the neighboring lady, "Dear friend, we are
planning to celebrate a marriage at our house in a grand way. We have invited a
famous Bombay band. We have also invited a number of noted singers. Several
highly gifted cooks will come to prepare food for the occasion. We are planning
to put up a very big marriage tent. It will be a truly grand affair. Please
come. You will greatly enjoy this marriage. It will be a unique celebration."

After hearing all these things, the neighbor lady said, "O, how wonderful. I
certainly will come." Then she inquired, "Please tell me, who is the
bridegroom?" At this the lady replied, "Well, that has not yet been decided."
For a marriage, the bridegroom is a very important person. If the bridegroom has
not been selected, who will be married in the marriage tent? What good is the
fine band and cooks and singers and priests when there is no one to be married?
First the bridegroom must be chosen, then all these other things take on value.
In the same way, if there is no peace of mind, what is the use of having learned
so many things? The wise sage told Narada, "Only by acquiring atmic knowledge
can you obtain peace of mind."

Today's man is an easy prey for attachment and hatred. He is overwhelmed by the
possessive nature and filled with ego. Just look at the state he is in and what
he is doing! He considers himself to be the most important being in the world.
He deludes himself with the feeling that there is no one greater than he.

Because of this delusion he has lost his power of discrimination, and so he has
not even been able to reflect on his own confused state. He considers that it is
he who is doing everything. He thinks that he can hire the whole world and do
with it as he pleases. But it is not he who is running the world. He does not
have that power, neither for good nor for evil. The one who is the creator of
this world, the one who is the protector of this world, the one who is the
father of this world, the one who is the mother of this world, the one who is
the Lord of this world... only he has the power and the authority to run it. For
this entire moveable and immovable world, there is only one master. This is an
all-important truth that every human being must recognize.

Use The Hardships You Encounter As Opportunities & Tests

Do not give in to temporary excitements and anger, and thereby lose your peace
of mind. Sorrow, loss, pain, worries are all tests to help you rid yourself of
your weaknesses. They reveal whether or not you have developed firm faith and
patience to endure hardships, and be unaffected by them. There is no use in
merely passing examinations conducted by educational institutions. You must pass
the examinations presented to you by life itself. It has been said, 'After
acquiring all types of education, it is only a fool who doesn't know his own
mind.' Whatever learning he might have acquired, a mean person will not acquire
any good qualities from it. Then what is the use of all his education? After
acquiring a lot of useless knowledge, he has only achieved the faculty for
engaging in arguments and counter-arguments.

Why study so many things which have no value at all? Instead, make every effort
to learn about that which has no death; that is the education which has lasting
value. What is the knowledge which enables you to know that which has no death?
That knowledge is the knowledge of atma, and that education is the atmic
education. The one who has no death has no birth either. Everything which is
born, which has come into existence, undergoes modifications and will eventually
die, and thereby lose its form. The entire world and everything in it has a
particular form. As it has form, it will undergo change. You should try to reach
the state where there is no change at all. To do so you must gain self-
knowledge, you must realize the atma.

No Need To Carry Your Luggage On Your Head

There once was an old, ignorant villager, who left his native place to set off
on a long journey. He had never traveled by train before; in fact, in all his
life he had never even had a chance to see a train. Now he had come to the
railway station and was waiting for the train to arrive. A train made up of many
wagons drew into the station. The villager was completely awed by this train.
'It has so many carriages,' he thought to himself, 'and it goes so fast. Look at
how easily it balances on those narrow rails that a human being can hardly even
walk on.'

Hundreds of passengers were waiting to board the train. The amount of luggage
which most of these passengers had brought was very large. The villager sat
brooding, thinking to himself, 'How is this train going to be able to carry so
many passengers and so much luggage? Why do these people have so much luggage
anyway?' Along with the others, the villager entered the train. Putting their
luggage on the racks overhead or leaving it on the floor, the passengers took
their seats and began chatting and relaxing.

The villager thought to himself, 'How cruel all these people are! Why are they
giving so much burden to this poor train by throwing their luggage down in the
compartment and relaxing?' So, this old man sat down, keeping all his luggage on
his head. It was enough that the train was carrying him; the least he could do
was to carry his own luggage and not place any further burden on this heavily-
loaded train! A co-passenger asked him, "Sir, why are you carrying your luggage
on your head? Why not put it down and be comfortable?" The old man replied,
"When the train is carrying so much luggage already, I do not want to add my own
luggage also. So I have put it on my head and will carry it myself."

Whatever you do with your luggage, the train will still be carrying both you and
your luggage. By keeping the luggage on your head you are not helping the train
at all. So you might as well put it down and enjoy your journey. Now, this naive
old man had kindness and compassion, but he did not have much intelligence and
discrimination.

Krishna told Arjuna, "Though you are highly educated, though you have sense
control, though you have accomplished great feats and have developed many
skills, you are, nevertheless, experiencing many difficulties. This is because
you have not been able to understand the divinity. As long as you do not
understand the divinity, you cannot be free from sorrow. If you want to free
yourself from sorrow and earn the grace of the Lord, you must obey my commands.

"First of all, remember that you are not the body. These sense organs have no
connection with you; they are associated with the body. Use the body for doing
work, but do not identify yourself with the body or the work. You have taken
birth in this body as the result of your past actions, your karma, and you must
use this body for performing karma. So, get up! Arise, Arjuna! Do your duty.
Perform actions and offer them all to me. Let me have the consequences of your
actions. Shun selfishness, uphold justice, be fixed in faith! That is the dharma
from age to age. If you obey my commands, I will take care of you."

Identify Yourself With The Divinity Not With Your Body

Krishna continued, "I want to tell you one other thing, the blind father of
these evil cousins of yours had 100 sons, yet in the end there was not even one
of them left to perform his funeral rites. What is the reason for this? All
these sons were the children of God, but the blind king considered them as his.
Arjuna, you are also becoming a brother to him. You are deluding yourself with
the idea that this body is yours when it really is not yours, at all. By
thinking that you are the body, you are developing the same blind outlook;. That
is complete ignorance. Unless you drive away this ignorance, you will not be
able to realize wisdom. You have to develop discrimination and self-inquiry in
order for wisdom to enter into you.

"Within your body is the spiritual heart, and within that heart is God. Also in
your body is the individual soul. These two, God and the individual, appearing
to live separately inside the body, are playing together, acting out their parts
in a grand drama. They come together and go apart again, as directed by the
author who has written this play. He assigns all the separate roles of good and
bad, virtue and sin. But, in truth, there is only the one divinity that plays
all these parts.

"From the standpoint of the body, there is the individualized soul manifested as
this particular person of body and mind, and there is God who is the indweller
of the heart. As long as you have the delusion of the body, these two, God and
the soul remain separate entities enjoying their play with each other. As soon
as the delusion disappears, they merge into the one all-pervasive divine
principle. When you remove the false delusion of body-consciousness, you bring
about the union of the individual and God. Then you are established in divine
consciousness and enjoy eternal bliss."

Teaching in this way, Krishna was able to impart to Arjuna the knowledge for
becoming a wise being and the means for reaching the bliss of non-duality. He
said, "Arjuna, always have the sense that everything which exists is one and the
same entity. Do not allow the senses to pull you away from this feeling of unity
and equanimity. Let your heart be free from sorrow and elation, attachment and
hatred. Be unaffected by censure or praise. Treat all people equally."

Krishna told Arjuna, "When you firmly believe that everything in this creation
is the manifestation of divinity, then you will become steeped in wisdom and
freed from illusion. Then you will have realized the true purpose for which you
have been born as a human being;. Arjuna! Carry out my commands! See me
everywhere! Know me to be your very self, the atma! Realize the atma and be
forever free!"